The Cubs’ margin for error disappeared quickly Wednesday night, and by the time they finally found their swing in the ninth inning, the Brewers had already built too much of a cushion.
Chicago fell 8-6 in Milwaukee, getting swept by the Brewers and slipping to 81-66. The loss also dropped the Cubs to 1.5 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies for the top Wild Card spot, while the season series finished 6-9 in Milwaukee’s favor.
Kevin Gausman never found his footing. The right-hander lasted just four innings, his shortest outing as a Cub, after a 35-pitch first inning put him in immediate trouble. He finished with seven runs allowed, six earned, on 94 pitches.
The first crack came from Christian Yelich, who drove a three-run homer the other way in the opening inning. It was the kind of swing that put Chicago in chase mode right away, and the Brewers kept pressing. Jackson Chourio and William Contreras both added first-pitch home runs in the second inning, giving Gausman three long balls allowed on the night.
Afterward, Gausman called the two splitters that were hit for homers "lazy changeups." He said his execution was the issue. It was a stark turn from his previous outing against Milwaukee, when he threw seven innings of one-run ball and struck out nine in his best start as a Cub.
The Cubs’ defense also made life harder than it needed to be. Chicago committed two throwing errors, including one by Nico Hoerner that helped a run score in the third inning. It wasn’t the deciding factor with Gausman giving up three home runs, but it was the kind of sloppiness Craig Counsell said stood out in postgame.
That’s been a departure from what usually defines a Counsell team, and it has been a problem throughout this series. The Cubs have made the kind of mistakes that either directly created runs or helped prevent them from getting back into games.
Still, Chicago kept swinging. The offense erupted for five runs in the ninth and brought the tying run to the plate. Michael Conforto and Nico Hoerner each delivered big hits in the frame against Abner Uribe, and Pete Crow-Armstrong opened the inning with a nine-pitch walk after battling through multiple strike-three fouls.
Brandon Sproat also had trouble throwing strikes, walking four hitters and technically allowing four runs without surrendering a hit. Those free passes helped set up the Cubs’ rally, but the comeback came up short.
The late push was one of the few bright spots in a rough seven games in 10 days against Milwaukee. The Cubs leave with three losses in the series, won’t see the Brewers again in the regular season, and now turn to an off day before welcoming the Pirates back to Wrigley Field.
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