By JAY COHEN AP Baseball Writer
CHICAGO — Matthew Boyd pitched two-hit ball into the fifth inning, and the Chicago Cubs shut down the Milwaukee Brewers for a 6-0 victory Thursday night that pushed their National League Division Series all the way to a decisive Game 5.
Ian Happ, Kyle Tucker and Michael Busch homered for Chicago, delighting a rollicking Wrigley Field crowd of 41,770. Busch went deep for the second straight game and third time in the series.
The Cubs were on the brink of elimination after they dropped the first two games of the NLDS in Milwaukee. But they held on for a 4-3 victory Wednesday before making the most of a sharp performance by Boyd and four relievers in Game 4.
Next up is the finale of the best-of-five series back in Milwaukee on Saturday night (5 p.m. PT, TBS). The winner takes on the Dodgers in the NL Championship Series, beginning Monday.
The Brewers, who went 97-65 this season for MLB’s best record, finished with three hits. They were 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position and left 13 on base overall in the series’ two games at Wrigley.
Boyd also started the series opener on Saturday. Pitching on three days of rest, he recorded just two outs while Freddy Peralta worked into the sixth inning in Milwaukee’s 9-3 win in that one.
Given another opportunity, Boyd delivered. The All-Star left-hander struck out six and walked three in 4⅔ innings.
The 34-year-old Boyd was staked to an early lead when Happ drove a 1-and-1 fastball from Peralta deep to right for a three-run drive with two out in the first. Nico Hoerner singled and Tucker walked ahead of Happ’s third career postseason homer.
Chicago has gone deep in the first in each of the four NLDS games. It has scored 11 of its 16 runs in the series in the first inning.
It was a big moment for Happ, who went 2 for 21 with 11 strikeouts in Chicago’s first six postseason games this year.
The Cubs had a 3-0 lead when Boyd exited with runners on second and third in the fifth, drawing a huge ovation from the crowd. Daniel Palencia came in and retired Jackson Chourio on a pop-up to shortstop, ending the inning.
Palencia also worked the sixth in this third win of the playoffs. Drew Pomeranz and Brad Keller each got three outs before Caleb Thielbar handled the ninth.
Chicago blew a bases-loaded opportunity in the fifth, but Matt Shaw hit an RBI single off Aaron Ashby in the sixth. The rookie third baseman had two hits after he went 0 for 12 in his first six postseason games.
Tucker added a leadoff drive in the seventh against Robert Gasser, and Busch connected in the eighth. It was Busch’s fourth homer in this postseason overall.
More to come on this story.