Left fielder Ian Happ saves Cubs with 2 late throws to plate in wild 7-6 win over Brewers in 11
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JULY 04: Miguel Amaya #6 of the Chicago Cubs tags out Owen Miller #6 of the Milwaukee Brewers at home plate in the 11th inning at American Family Field on July 04, 2023 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty
CHICAGO - Left fielder Ian Happ threw out two runners at the plate in extra innings, and the Chicago Cubs pulled out a wild 7-6 win over the Milwaukee Brewers in 11 innings Tuesday after squandering a late lead for the second consecutive game.
"We needed a win. The momentum of that one made it a big win," Happ said. "Two do-or-die kind of plays there. The first one, the game’s over if you don’t make the play. The second one, there’s no risk. Two accurate throws, which is the most important part."
Dansby Swanson homered and Miguel Amaya hit a two-run double to help the Cubs build a 6-2 cushion. But the Brewers scored twice in the eighth and twice more in the ninth to tie it.
In the bottom of the 10th, pinch-runner Andruw Monasterio was placed at second base as the automatic runner. He tried to score the winning run on Owen Miller’s one-out single to left but was cut down at home by Happ on a call that stood following a replay review.
Miller was thrown out trying to advance to second, ending the inning.
Chicago went ahead in the 11th. Automatic runner Cody Bellinger moved to third with one out on a wild pitch by Clayton Andrews (0-1). After Amaya struck out, Nico Hoerner beat out an infield single to put the Cubs up by a run.
"There was like a week’s worth of action in that game," Hoerner said.
With one out in the bottom half, Miller tried to tag up from third and score the tying run on Brice Turang’s pop fly to left. He was thrown out at the plate by Happ to end the game, setting off a celebration as Cubs players poured out of the dugout after halting their three-game skid.
"Credit to him. He made a good throw. The inning before that, too," Miller said. "You want to be an aggressive baserunning team and make the guys throw you out."
With Swanson at the plate in the 11th, Cubs first base coach Mike Napoli was ejected. As Napoli left the field, manager David Ross came out to argue and was also ejected by plate umpire Erich Bacchus.
"Guys were starting to get frustrated," Ross said. "I know it’s not an easy job but some of the pitches that got called (strikes) weren’t even close."
Ross was perturbed that Bacchus wrung up Swanson when there were only two strikes and he felt that a Brewers baserunner had interfered with a throw earlier in the game.
Still visibly frustrated after the game, Ross also questioned why the Brewers closed the roof at American Family Field on a mostly sunny afternoon.
"They were closing the roof to get rid of the shadows late," Ross said. "It was really frustrating."
Kyle Hendricks gave Chicago a solid start and Daniel Palencia (1-0) got the win in his major league debut.
"It was a tight game, so I didn’t know if I was going to pitch today but I’m here to pitch. I’m ready for anything," Palencia said.
The loss dropped Milwaukee (46-40) a game behind first-place Cincinnati in the NL Central, after the Reds beat the Nationals 8-4 earlier in the day.
Turang had an RBI single in the fifth to begin Milwaukee’s comeback from a 4-0 deficit. Rowdy Tellez hit a run-scoring single in the eighth and Willy Adames delivered an RBI double.
Christian Yelich hit an RBI single in the ninth, and the Brewers tied it 6-all on William Contreras’ sacrifice fly.
The Brewers, who fell behind 6-0 to the Cubs on Monday before rallying late for an 8-6 win, struggled to get their offense going against Hendricks, who retired the first 10 batters he faced before walking Jesse Winker in the fourth. Hendricks didn’t give up a hit until Miller reached on a dribbler down the third-base line with one out in the fifth.
Hendricks gave up four hits and two runs — one earned — in six innings. He walked one and struck out five.
PRIZED POSSESSIONS
Palencia received two baseballs from his MLB debut, one from the first out he recorded and another from the game’s final out.
"I’m going to put them in my room and watch them all night," a smiling Palencia said.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Cubs: Placed INF Nick Madrigal on the 10-day injured list with a right hamstring strain and activated INF Patrick Wisdom from the 10-day IL. RHP Brad Boxberger was transferred to the 60-day IL.
Brewers: OF Joey Wiemer was hit on the left hand by 91 mph pitch in the eighth but remained in the game.
ROSTER MOVES
Chicago selected Palencia from Triple-A Iowa and optioned RHP Hayden Wesneski to its top farm club.
UP NEXT
All-Star lefty Justin Steele (9-2, 2.43 ERA) starts Wednesday for the Cubs against Adrian Houser (3-2, 3.88) in the third of a four-game set. Steele is 1-2 with a 2.23 ERA in 11 career games (10 starts) vs. Milwaukee. Houser is 1-2 with a 5.14 ERA in six career starts against Chicago.