Game Recap: Brewers top Cubs

Dustin Riese - Senior Writer - 20 hours ago

MESA - It was more of the same for the Chicago Cubs as the Milwaukee Brewers continue to have their number. Fortunately for the Cubs, Tuesday's game doesn't count in the standings as this was their final Cactus League game before the Cubs hop on the Jet for Japan.

With Justin Steele on the bump for what was his final tune-up before Japan, it was the Brewers who jumped on him early and often as they clubbed four homers against the Cubs to pick up the 9-7 victory at Sloan Park. Eight of their nine runs came off those four homers, as the Cubs are hoping this isn't a sign of things to come in the regular season.

Spring or not, you never want to see one of your best starters get lit up, and Steele endured a rough outing on the mound. Sure, Steele pitched into the fourth innings, but he was charged for seven earned runs on 10 hits, with all seven runs coming via the long ball. That included a pair of first-inning homers that gave the Brewers a 5-0 lead as Rhys Hoskins opened the scoring with a two-run shot before Vinny Capra unloaded for the Brewers second homer of the inning.

Not to be outdone, the Cubs offense came roaring back in the bottom of the first. Unlike the Brewers, who lived on the long ball, the Cubs manufactured their runs a different way, which they may have to do a lot more of this season. Three batters into the game, the Cubs had a pair of runners on as Ian Happ and Kyle Tucker worked walks.

They would eventually advance to second on the Jacob Misiorowski wild pitch before the Michael Busch single made this a 5-2 game. With two outs in the inning, it was the bottom of the order coming through as Matt Shaw nearly missed a homer for an RBI double before coming home on the Pete Crow-Armstrong single to pull the Cubs within 5-4.

After a rocky start to the game, Steele appeared to be settling in until an Oliver Dunn two-out single in the third gave the Brewers another baserunner. A few pitches later, it was the long ball playing a factor again, with Jake Bauers touching Steele up for his third homer, allowed to put the Brewers back in front 7-4. Offense was the name of the game in the early innings as the Cubs continued to answer the Brewers with runs of their own to keep things close.

Once again, it was the middle of the order setting things up with Dansby Swanson picking up a one-out double to put himself in scoring position. Shaw followed that up with a walk before an error allowed Crow-Armstrong to reach base, loading the bases. This was by far the Cubs best-scoring chance of the day as the Carson Kelly single pulled Chicago within 7-5, with Jon Berti making things 7-6 with a sacrifice fly. That sacrifice fly was costly as Kelly was doubled up trying to advance to second on that sacrifice fly, killing what could have been a bigger inning.

That was as close as the Cubs would get in this one, as Chicago was unable to take the lead while the Brewers offense continued to make the Cubs pay for their mistakes. Whether it be Steele or Daniel Palencia who entered the game in the fifth, the Brewers continued to live and die by the long ball with Oliver Dunn unloading for a long homer off of Palencia to extend the Brewers lead to 8-6.

This was when both pitching staffs began to settle in for the first time, as neither team was able to add on additional runs until the eighth. Needing offense in a hurry, the Cubs continued to battle back in the bottom of the eighth as former Cub Vinny Nittoli walked Haydn McGeary to lead things off. Dixon Machado followed that up with a single to put runners on the corners before McGeary came home on the Nittoli wild pitch to make this an 8-7 game.

That was the game's final run for the Cubs as the Brewers tacked on their lone non-homer run in the ninth on the Kay-Lan Nicasia single to go in front 9-7. Chicago tried to keep things interesting in the bottom of the ninth against another former Cub in Sam McWilliams as Darius Hill led the bottom of the ninth off with a double. Chase Strumpf followed that up with a walk, only to have McWilliams settle in to strikeout the next three hitters to end the game.

Chicago will now enjoy the next two days off as they are on their way to Tokyo in preparation for their season-opening series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday.