CHICAGO – Summerfest began in Milwaukee on June 19, but the Brewers kicked off the day with their own fireworks a little further south along the lakeshore, and they needed every one of them.
Milwaukee hit three homers and racked up eight runs – their second-highest single-game run total in June – and closer Trevor Megill negotiated some tough customers in the ninth to narrowly defeat the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, 8-7, splitting a series reduced to two games by a June 18 rainout.
The Cubs scored twice in the seventh and twice more in the eighth, requiring a lockdown inning from Megill against Chicago’s top three hitters in the order.
BOX SCORE:Brewers 8, Cubs 7
Brewers reliever Abner Uribe loaded the bases in the eighth with one out, then a fielder’s choice and infield single plated two runs for the Cubs to make it an 8-7 game.
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Uribe had been scored upon just once in his past 23 outings, and he came into the game with a 1.31 ERA, but he allowed a hit batsman and two walks after initially striking out Seiya Suzuki.
That set the stage for more drama in the ninth, starting with a leadoff walk on a close full-count pitch to Ian Happ. Megill struck out Kyle Tucker, then got a game-ending double play from Suzuki.
Isaac Collins’ three-run insurance blast in the fifth proved to be the decisive blow, following up a two-run shot from Caleb Durbin and a solo homer by Rhys Hoskins, both in the second inning against Cubs starter Jameson Taillon (7-4), who allowed five runs all-told in four innings.
Brewers starter Freddy Peralta (7-4) allowed two homers of his own but no other hits, working five innings for the victory. He finished with two walks and six strikeouts. MVP candidate Pete Crow-Armstrong lifted the first homer of the day out to right field against Peralta for a two-run blast in the first, and Dansby Swanson parked a solo shot into the left-field bleachers in the fourth.
Ten of the 11 homers Peralta has allowed this year have come against his fastball, the second-most homers off any single pitch in baseball, behind the 11 allowed by Rockies pitcher Chase Dollander’s four-seamer. Happ added a two-run homer against Aaron Ashby in the seventh.
But the Brewers had answers, including an RBI single by Christian Yelich in the first inning and the two homers in the second to reclaim a 4-2 lead. Milwaukee has reached eight runs in a game this month just one other time, when they scored nine June 4 against the Reds.
The big blast came from Collins, a two-out, three-run shot that gave the Brewers a much needed cushion against Génesis Cabrera, who had just gotten Hoskins to pop out with runners at second and third for the second out.
Collins has a respectable .750 OPS this season, including four homers, and continues to play an elite left-field defense.
The Cubs fight back within a run after Abner Uribe struggles
Abner Uribe has been one of the best pitchers on the Milwaukee staff this year and had been scored upon just once in his last 23 outings. But the Cubs have now made this game highly interesting.
After a strikeout to open the eighth, Uribe hit a batter and issued two walks, leading to a pair of Cubs runs. Carson Kelly grounded into a fielder’s choice for a run, and Nico Hoerner’s infield single plated another to make it 8-7. Uribe got out of it, but now the Cubs have the 1-2-3 hitters due up in the ninth.
Did you see the guy retrieving the bat?
If you missed this moment earlier, a fan in the front row scaled the netting to retrieve Sal Frelick’s bat after it got lodged behind home plate in the fifth inning. The Des Plaines man had a pretty entertaining story involving a different baseball bat in the 1990s.
Don’t count the Cubs out yet after Ian Happ’s two-run homer
Aaron Ashby nearly got through a second full inning of relief, but Ian Happ’s two-run homer to center has Wrigley Field reanimated and the Cubs back within 8-5 in the bottom of the seventh.
Jared Koenig checked into the game with the Cubs’ best hitters due up and got Kyle Tucker to ground out, ending the frame.
Peralta wound up finishing five innings, and Ashby worked around a two-out single in the sixth. After a leadoff single in the seventh, Nico Hoerner hit into what was ruled initially as a double play, but replay showed he was safe. Hoerner was still on base when Happ launched one out to make it a three-run game.
Massive home run from Isaac Collins pads Brewers lead
Man, the ball was flying out of Wrigley Field. Isaac Collins hit a huge no-doubter with two runners on in the third, and suddenly the Brewers had an 8-3 lead.
Brice Turang’s double had put runners at second and third with one down, but Rhys Hoskins popped up on the infield, leaving it in the hands of Collins. And, facing lefty reliever Génesis Cabrera, Collins straight parked one to left center.
The Brewers were up to three homers, and the Cubs had two.
Freddy Peralta’s run of four straight strikeouts features Cubs’ biggest hitters, but Dansby Swanson ends it with a bang
Freddy Peralta looked like he had settled in for the Brewers, rattling off four straight strikeouts against the Cubs’ top-four hitters Ian Happ, Kyle Tucker, Seiya Suzuki and Pete Crow-Armstrong, bringing him to five overall for the day. But it ended in a big way with Dansby Swanson, who worked ahead of Peralta, 3-0, and then belted a home run to left field that brought the Cubs back within two runs. That’s Swanson’s 14th home run of the season.
It was the second homer of the day against Peralta. Freddy rebounded for his sixth strikeout of the game to end the inning.
Milwaukee ambushes Cubs starter Jameson Taillon for another run in the third
The Brewers had their bats in motion to open the third, and it plated another run.
Jackson Chourio fouled off the first pitch he saw, and then the next three pitches from Jameson Taillon resulted in singles. Chourio, Christian Yelich and William Contreras all rifled balls to the outfield, with the third resulting in a run. That was three hits in a span of four pitches.
Brice Turang then laced the second pitch he saw to left field, where Ian Happ needed to make a nifty catch to avoid further damage. Taillon escaped from there, but the lead is now 5-2 for Milwaukee, which has runs in all three innings thus far.
Rhys Hoskins, Caleb Durbin go deep and Brewers get the lead back
It might just be one of those games today at Wrigley Field. We’re in the top of the second and already have three home runs and a double between the two squads. Rhys Hoskins hit his 11th home run of the year out to left, re-knotting the game at 2-2, and after an Isaac Collins walk, Caleb Durbin hit his third homer of the year just over the basket in left center.
The Brewers now have a 4-2 lead, and they’re making great contact against Jameson Taillon. Joey Ortiz and Sal Frelick lined out to the outfield to end the inning, but both balls were well struck.
Cubs take the lead in the first on yet another blast from Pete Crow-Armstrong
The Cubs’ MVP candidate is up to it again. Pete Crow-Armstrong, who homered against the Brewers and also made an excellent catch in center field when the two teams met two nights ago, just took Freddy Peralta deep for a two-run homer in the first to give the Cubs a 2-1 lead.
Kyle Tucker had walked, and he was on first base for the two-out strike to right field. Crow-Armstrong is up to 20 home runs now for the Cubs.
Brewers immediately get on the board in the opening inning
After waiting a day to play baseball in rain-soaked Chicago, the Brewers got on the board right away Thursday afternoon. Jackson Chourio dropped a ball into left field and hustled into second in front of the throw from Cubs left-fielder Ian Happ, and then Christian Yelich lofted a single down the right field line to score the run.
Chourio came into the game batting .315 over his past 17 games, with four homers and 13 RBIs (.900 OPS). He’s now up to a nine-game hitting streak.
What time is the Brewers game today?
The Brewers and Cubs play at 1:20 p.m.
What channel is the Brewers game on today?
TV Channel: FanDuel Sports Wisconsin
Radio: WTMJ 620
When will the game from June 18 be made up?
The game rained out June 18 will be made up as part of a split doubleheader Aug. 18. That series was already a four-game series, which means the two teams will now play five games in four days.
Why isn’t Jacob Misiorowski starting the day game after his start was rained out June 18?
Brewers manager Pat Murphy said before the game June 19 that he simply wanted to keep Freddy Peralta, his best and most consistent pitcher this season, on a regular schedule. Misiorowski will pitch the opener in Minnesota on June 20.
Brewers lineup
- Sal Frelick, right field
- Jackson Chourio, center field
- Christian Yelich, designated hitter
- William Contreras, catcher
- Brice Turang, second base
- Rhys Hoskins, first base
- Isaac Collins, left field
- Caleb Durbin, third base
- Joey Ortiz, shortstop
Freddy Peralta, pitcher
Cubs lineup
- Ian Happ, left field
- Kyle Tucker, right field
- Seiya Suzuki, designated hitter
- Pete Crow-Armstrong, center field
- Dansby Swanson, shortstop
- Michael Busch, first base
- Carson Kelly, catcher
- Nico Hoerner, second base
- Matt Shaw, third base
Jameson Taillon, pitcher
Brewers schedule
- Brewers at Twins, 7:10 p.m. June 20. Milwaukee RHP Jacob Misiorowski (1-0, 0.00) vs. Minnesota RHP Joe Ryan (7-2, 2.93). TV – FanDuel Sports Wisconsin. Radio – AM-620 WTMJ.
- Brewers at Twins, 1:10 p.m. June 21. Milwaukee LHP Jose Quintana (4-2, 3.35) vs. Minnesota RHP Simeon Woods-Richardson (2-3, 5.13). TV – FanDuel Sports Wisconsin. Radio – AM-620 WTMJ.
- Brewers at Twins, 1:10 p.m. June 22. Milwaukee RHP Quinn Priester (5-2, 3.46 ERA) vs. Minnesota RHP David Festa (1-1, 4.78 ERA). TV – FanDuel Sports Wisconsin. Radio – AM-620 WTMJ.
