Down early, Brewers rally to beat Cubs
The Milwaukee Brewers have become accustomed to playing from behind.
The Brewers did it again Sunday afternoon, rallying from an early threerun deficit to beat the Chicago Cubs, 6-5, for their third consecutive victory at Wrigley Field after dropping the series opener.
The comeback allowed the Brewers to reach the 20-game mark – one-third of the way through the shortened 60game season – with a 10-10 record. The third straight defeat dropped the firstplace Cubs to 13-6.
The game ended with a terrific battle between Brewers closer Josh Hader and Cubs shortstop Nico Hoerner. After fouling off seven consecutive 3-2 pitches, Hoerner finally lined out to end the game.
The Brewers have been outscored, 32-4, over the first two innings of games this season and that trend continued as they once again played from behind as the Cubs got to starter Josh Lindblom for three runs in the first. Lindblom's problems started with consecutive oneout walks to Anthony Rizzo and Willson Contreras.
With home plate umpire Jordan Baker giving him nothing on the edges, Lindblom surrendered an RBI single to Schwarber. Lindblom appeared to have Steven Souza Jr. struck out on three pitches but Baker called the third pitch a ball and Souza then ripped a two-run double into the left-field corner to make it 3-0.
The first seven hitters went down in order against Chicago starter Jon Lester before Luis Urías and Orlando Arcia collected back-to-back singles with one down in the third. Ryan Braun, batting leadoff for only the second time in his career, chased a 3-2 pitch out of the strike zone and struck out.
That brought to the plate Keston Hiura, mired in a deep slump (0 for 14 and 1 for 21) and having trouble making contact (30 strikeouts, tied for the NL lead). Hiura broke loose in a big way, hammered a 2-2 cutter from Lester out to center for a three-run homer that tied the game.
Urías, who had his first big game Saturday for the Brewers with three hits and a walk, led off the fifth with an opposite-field triple into the right-field corner. Arcia followed with a long home run down the left-field line and, just like that, the Brewers had a 5-3 lead.
After his rough first inning, Lindblom settled down, allowing only a walk and single over the next four innings. He struck out the side in the fifth, with Nico
Hoerner, Kris Bryant and Rizzo all going down swinging.
Lindblom's command deserted him in the sixth, however, as he hit Contreras with a 1-0 pitch and walked Schwarber on four consecutive pitches. That proved to be the end of his day, with manager Craig Counsell summoning side-armer Eric Yardley.
Yardley struck out Souza but hit Ian Happ with a pitch to load the bases. He gave himself a chance to escape by striking out David Bote but Jason Kipnis smacked a two-run single to center to tie the game, 5-5, making the Brewers pay for putting three hitters on without making them swing the bat.
It didn't stay tied for long. Arcia continued his big day by greeting reliever Jason Adam with a triple to center to lead off the seventh, and Braun ripped a first-pitch curveball to left-center for a run-scoring single.
Devin Williams took over for the Brewers in the seventh and worked around an error on first baseman Jedd Gyorko by striking out Contreras on a pitch that catcher Manny Piña threw out Rizzo running to second. David Phelps came on in the eighth and struck out all three batters he faced, preserving the one-run lead.
RECORD
Overall: 10-10 Home: 2-6 Road: 8-4
COMING UP
Monday: Off.
Tuesday: Brewers at Twins, 7:10 p.m. Milwaukee RHP Corbin Burnes (0-0, 3.38) vs. Minnesota RHP Kenta Maeda (3-0, 2.66). TV: FS Wisconsin. Radio: AM-620.