Urias, Arcia, Hiura power Brewers to 6-5 victory over Cubs
Hader escapes 13-pitch battle to close game
So many of the games between the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs have featured high drama at the end, but this one might have taken the cake.
And a pie. And a couple of kringles (hey, the team from Wisconsin did win).
It took 13 pitches for Brewers closer Josh Hader to finally dispatch young Cubs shortstop Nico Hoerner for the final out Sunday afternoon at Wrigley Field, securing a 6-5 victory – the third consecutive one-run, comefrom-behind triumph in the series for Milwaukee.
The epic battle, in which Hoerner fouled off seven consecutive 3-2 pitches before lining out to center, was reminiscent of a 13-pitch at-bat by the Brewers’ Jesús Aguilar in the bottom of the ninth inning of a game against Miami at Miller Park on April 21, 2018. Aguilar also fouled off seven two-strike pitches from Junichi Tazawa to stay alive before crushing a walk-off homer that gave Milwaukee the victory by the same 6-5 score.
Hoerner did not experience such
glory against Hader, who has yet to allow a hit in six appearances.
“It was a great battle,” said Brewers manager Craig Counsell, whose club hit the 20-game mark with a 10-10 record thanks to the three comeback victories. “We have to give Josh credit for continuing to throw strikes and make great pitches.
“(Hoerner) ended up hitting the ball hard but… too bad.”
Hader, who threw 35 pitches in recording a four-out save Friday night against the Cubs, struck out David Bote looking at a 3-2 slider to open the bottom of the ninth. He then fielded a chopper by Javy Báez down the first-base line and applied a tag just in front of the bag – a play that originally was ruled safe but overturned on a challenge by the Brewers.
That brought to the plate Hoerner, who appeared to have drawn a walk on a high 3-1 fastball from Hader that was called a strike by umpire Jordan Baker, who did not distinguish himself behind the plate. Then, the fun began.
Hoerner fouled off three consecutive fastballs, then a slider, another fastball, another slider and another fastball. On his 25th pitch of the inning, Hader came back with yet another fastball that Hoerner sent on a line to center. Avisaíl García, playing center only because Lorenzo Cain opted out of the season after one week, charged in and almost overran the ball but reached up and snared it to end the game.
“It was a hell of an at-bat,” said Brewers shortstop Orlando Arcia, who had a huge day out of the No. 9 spot in the lineup with a single, two-run home run, triple and three runs scored. “He definitely battled. The last ball scared all of us but when Avisaíl got it, I was jumping for joy.”
Arcia teamed with No. 8 hitter Luis Urías, who had his second consecutive three-hit day, to do much of the damage against Cubs starter Jon Lester and the first reliever who followed him, Jason Adam. That duo went a combined 6for-8 with five runs scored.
Ryan Braun, batting in the leadoff spot for only the second time in his career, delivered what proved to be the decisive run with a single after Arcia's leadoff triple in the seventh off Adam. If that does prove to be Braun's final game at Wrigley – he is in the last guaranteed year of his contract – he would finish with a .321 career batting average there in 94 games, with 19 home runs and 72 runs batted in.
Of batting first, Braun said, "‘Couns' and me were talking this morning. He said he thought it made sense based on the complexion of our lineup. I'm not opposed to hitting anywhere they think makes the most sense or puts us in the best position to win a baseball game. Obviously, it's a little different – I had done it one other time – but it worked out for us today. That was a big win.
“It's a special place to play. Always somewhere I look forward to coming and competing. It's a unique atmosphere, a unique environment. Obviously, different this year (with no fans). But I have some tremendous memories here, some special moments. I'm not sure if that was the last one or not but if it was, I thoroughly enjoyed having the opportunity to play here the last 14 years.”
Braun certainly has seen his share of tense battles between the clubs and this one was no different. It didn't look promising when the Cubs jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning against Josh Lindblom, who was his worst enemy during a five-inning outing with four walks and a hit batter, which led directly to four of Chicago's five runs.
Keston Hiura snapped out of a big slump with a three-run homer off Lester in the third inning to tie the game, the Urías-Arcia duo took it from there and the bullpen came through once again, including an impressive three-strikeout eighth inning by David Phelps.
“We hung with them because we pitched well again,” Counsell said. “Come-from-behind wins are always team efforts and that's what we've had the last three days. Offensively, a lot of guys have done a nice job.
“The bullpen has carried is weight and done a really nice job. I thought David Phelps' outing today was pretty special. That's how you put streaks together. You have to get a lot of different guys contributing and that's what we've had the last three days.”
Capped by an epic battle that went Milwaukee's way, which always feels good, especially against the first-place Cubs, who have been handed four of their six losses by the Brewers.