Cubs 4, Brewers 3
With their backs against the wall, the Chicago Cubs defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 at Wrigley Field on Wednesday evening. This win was crucial for the Cubs as the series is now 2-1 in favor of the Brewers. The Cubs scored all their runs and fended off a mighty Brewers comeback to win their third game at home this postseason.
Cubs – Brewers Game Summary
The Brewers scored in the first off Christian Yelich‘s leadoff double to right field. Sal Frelick later hit a sacrifice fly to score Yelich. However, damage was mitigated for the Cubs as Jameson Taillon got out of the first with only one run allowed. In the bottom of the first, the Cubs offense opened up as Michael Busch became the first player to ever have two leadoff home runs in the same playoff series when he launched a ball to right-center to start off the Cubs frame. Following Busch’s home run, Nico Hoerner hit a single, Kyle Tucker walked, Ian Happ walked, and Pete Crow-Armstrong delivered a two-run single to right to give the Cubs a 3-1 advantage. Brewers starter Quinn Priester lasted only 2/3 of an inning before being pulled for Nick Mears. Mears’ second pitch was wild, brining Happ around to score and boosting the Cubs’ lead to 4-1. The Cubs were quiet the rest of the game, only recording five hits, thanks to the Brewers’ strong bullpen effort. The Brewers did their best to fight back with Jake Bauers‘ RBI single in the fourth and his solo home run in the seventh. However, thanks to the Cubs’ relief corps, they were able to fend off elimination after their big first inning.
What Went Right for the Cubs
Offense Finally Came Alive
The Cubs finally scored more than three runs for the first time this postseason. This was thanks to clutch hitting from Michael Busch, Nico Hoerner, and Pete Crow-Armstrong. Kyle Tucker also had a 3-4 day and put a lot of pressure on the Brewers bullpen.
Pitching
Between starter Jameson Taillon and relievers Drew Pomeranz, Daniel Palencia, Andrew Kittredge, Caleb Thielbar, and Brad Keller, the Cubs shut the Brewers’ offense down. In clutch moments, they delivered electric strikeouts and quieting the otherwise hot Brewers offense. Manager Craig Counsell knew this would be a point of focus as he noted in his pregame press conference, “I mean, look, good pitchers, that plays throughout the season. I think that’s what you’re going to need.”
Home-Field Advantage
After the Brewers took both games at home, the Chicago faithful showed out at Wrigley. A sold-out crowd of 40,737 came to support the Cubs.
What Went Wrong for the Brewers
Starting Pitching
Starter Quinn Priester had a rough outing. He lasted 2/3 of an inning, giving up three hits, four earned runs, and two walks. One of the hits was, of course, Michael Busch’s leadoff home run that quickly erased the Brewers’ advantage. While the Brewers haven’t particularly had stellar starting outings, this was definitely a rough spot for Priester.
Nonexistent Clutch Factor
The Brewers, as a team, went 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position. They left seven runners stranded, most notably with the bases loaded in the eighth. Additionally, they struck out seven times and could not get the ball in play when it mattered most.
Top of the Order Struggles
The Brewers’ top four hitters — Yelich, Jackson Chourio, Brice Turang, and William Contreras — went a combined 3-for-15 in tonight’s game. This included four strikeouts and three inning-ending outs. The Brewers have had a lump sum of their offensive production from their leaders, and this game was an unknown for the Brewers this series. Veterans like Yelich, Contreras, and Andrew Vaughn will certainly be playing with a chip of their shoulder in Game Four.
Quick Hits
With this win, the Cubs move to 3-1 at Wrigley Field this postseason and get their first NLDS victory since Game Five of the 2017 NLDS vs. the Washington Nationals.
The Cubs have tied the season series at 8-8 vs. the Brewers after losing Games One and Two.
The Brewers made some lineup changes, replacing Andrew Vaughn with Jake Bauers and Blake Perkins with Brandon Lockridge. In addition, Christian Yelich was moved up to the leadoff spot. Manager Pat Murphy commented on these changes in his pregame press conference, ” Yeah, I put a lot of time into it, got a lot of research into it…Lockridge deserves a chance, and it gives us some flexibility in the middle of the game. You don’t feel like the starter is going to go that far. We still have weapons in the middle of the game and guys we want to end the game.”
Jake Bauers has tied Jackson Chourio, Paul Molitor, and Ted Simmons for third all time in the Brewers’ postseason home run record books, with three. He trails only Prince Fielder and Orlando Arcia.
Chicago based DJ John Summit surprised fans with a pop-up set outside of Wrigley Field before the game. Summit also threw out the first pitch for the Cubs on April 23 vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers.
More Chicago Cubs Articles
More Milwaukee Brewers Articles
More MLB Articles
Looking Ahead
The Cubs retain their chance at becoming the 11th team to overcome a 2-0 series deficit. The Brewers seek their first Championship Series appearance in seven years. Game Four will be played tomorrow night at 8:08 Central in Wrigley. Both teams will announcer starters at a later time.
Main Image:
Embed from Getty Images
- Categories
-
Chicago Cubs
Milwaukee Brewers
