Rookie Luis Lara delivered the last blow, but Milwaukee’s comeback started much earlier.
The Brewers erased a ninth-inning deficit and then beat the Chicago Cubs 4-3 in 10 innings on Tuesday night, getting a bases-loaded single from Lara to cap their second straight 4-3 rally over Chicago. Milwaukee’s win pushed its lead over the second-place Cubs to nine games as it continued its march toward a fourth consecutive National League Central title.
The finish belonged to Lara, but Jackson Chourio set the tone. After the Cubs had taken a 3-1 lead in the top of the ninth, Milwaukee answered with a two-out push that began when pinch hitter Christian Yelich singled. Chourio followed by driving an 0-1 pitch from Jacob Webb 394 feet to left for a two-run homer, his career-best 22nd, and suddenly the game was tied at 3-3.
That sent the game to extras, where the Brewers wasted little time. Brice Turang opened the 10th as Milwaukee’s designated runner against Caleb Thielbar, who entered to start the inning. William Contreras was intentionally walked with one out, Sal Frelick then dropped a bloop single into shallow left to load the bases, and Lara lined the first pitch he saw to left for the winning hit.
DL Hall handled the final five outs to earn the victory and improve to 3-0.
The Cubs had a chance to do damage in the top of the 10th, but Seiya Suzuki was thrown out trying to take third on a fly ball to center fielder Garrett Mitchell.
Chicago had put itself in position to win with a big ninth. Carson Kelly, hitting as a pinch hitter, doubled with the bases loaded and drove in two runs against Brewers closer Trevor Megill to put the Cubs ahead 3-1.
Suzuki also made a key defensive play in the fifth, throwing out Chourio at the plate to keep Milwaukee from scoring the go-ahead run and end the inning.
The game opened with Chicago on top. Suzuki doubled off the wall in center with one out in the first and scored on Michael Busch’s two-out single to right. Nico Hoerner added a single, but Jacob Misiorowski recovered from a 3-0 count to strike out Ian Happ and leave runners on the corners.
Milwaukee answered in the bottom of the first. Chourio led off with a double, and Turang brought him home with an RBI single to center.
Misiorowski, who was hit hard by the Cubs on Sept. 2 when he allowed five runs in four innings in a no-decision, was much sharper this time. He gave up one run on four hits over 6 1/3 innings, striking out nine and walking two in a 93-pitch outing.
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