Clutch hit leads Brew Crew over Cubs |
CHICAGO — The difference between the Milwaukee Brewers (59-43) and the Chicago Cubs (49-55) may be closer than anyone thinks, as evidenced by the scores of this week's games at Wrigley Field. Over the three games, two of which went Milwaukee's way, runs were hard to come by, as both teams scored five runs across the three games.
While these teams share many similarities, there is one glaring difference: The Brewers know how to deliver when the pressure is on or the game is on the line. You saw that on Tuesday when Brice Turang delivered an RBI single in the eighth inning, and you saw that again on Wednesday. With the game tied 2-2 entering the ninth, it was the Brewers coming up clutch once more as a William Contreras double off of Hector Neris proved to be the game-winner as the Brewers topped the Cubs 3-2. It was another loss charged to the bullpen, but you can't take away the job they have done the past two months, including Neris, who threw 16 of his 17 pitches for strikes. Looking to bounce back from a rough start last time out, Justin Steele was back on the mound, and once again, he wasn't at his best. Unlike his start against Arizona, where he was hit hard, it was his command that did him in as he walked three and struck out four in 5 1/3 innings. Steele was charged with a no-decision as the Cubs offense was again held in check. If you are a Cubs fan, that has to be the most frustrating part of this loss. The Brewers elected to go with a bullpen game while they await the return of a few arms. Another thing that has become so frustrating this season to watch is having a lot of former Cubs who were viewed as not good enough on their roster to land on another team and have success. You saw that with Colin Rea and Trevor Megill on Tuesday and Wednesday, Rob Zastryzny made the start. The former Cubs farmhand has pitched to a 1.17 ERA this season. He only lasted one inning, but his overall body of work has been impressive, which is something you couldn't say when he was with the Cubs. The Brewers didn't waste any time getting the scoring started, as Steele wasn't sharp in his first inning. Not only did he walk Joey Ortiz to start the game, but four batters into the inning, the Brewers had the bases loaded and one out. Jackson Chourio kept the line moving with an RBI single to put the Brewers in front 1-0, but Steele did a great job limiting the damage as he escaped the first inning without further damage. Chicago responded in their half of the first as the two-out Seiya Suzuki double was the beginning of a two-out rally, with Ian Happ tying things up with an RBI single. .@ihapp_1 comes through! pic.twitter.com/6upHMrBJNj Suzuki played a massive role in the Cubs success throughout the game as he connected for his 14th homer in the third inning to give the Cubs a 2-1 lead. Seiya Suzuki's sizzling solo shot 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/ZE0AO5lfrY That came after wasting a second and third scoring chance in the second, but with no more runs the rest of the way, it would come down to the pitching to deliver the win. For the most part, the pitching held up, as Steele did a phenomenal job bouncing back from a rough start to the game and kept the Brewers grounded through five. Then came the sixth, when you could clearly see some fatigue setting in, as a pair of singles from Willy Adames and Chourio set the offense up while another single from Jake Bauers loaded the bases with one down. Looking to get out of this jam with little to no damage, Miller was thrown into a tough spot, and for the most part, he did all the Cubs needed him to do. Still, another Turang hit brought home a run as the Brewers battled back to tie things up 2-2. That was the game's final run until the ninth inning, as Porter Hodge and Mark Leiter Jr managed to go pitch for pitch with Jakob Junis to keep things tied. Needing one more big inning from the pen, it was up to Neris to get the job done, but after allowing a leadoff single to Blake Perkins the Brewers offense was set up to take the lead. From a command side of things, this was as good as Neris has been all season, but the Contreras double with one out in the inning brought home the winning run as the Brewers took a late 3-2 lead. Needing a run in their final at-bat, the Cubs went down quietly as Joel Payamps retired the side in order to secure the win. The Cubs have scored the 2nd fewest runs in MLB since the All-Star break. pic.twitter.com/sVqucWmdLU
