The bellows and whistles from the Wrigley Field crowd already were deafening in the third inning of the Cubs’ 4-3 victory Wednesday against the Brewers.
Jacob Misiorowski, Milwaukee’s rookie phenom, was unraveling. That much was clear after three consecutive walks, including an 11-pitch battle against Cubs rookie Matt Shaw. The Cubs fans in the stands could sense it, and they did their part to turn up the heat.
Left-handed hitter Michael Busch stayed as picky as his teammates before him, working a three-ball count. The crowd was on its feet. Then Busch lined a bases-clearing double into the left-center-field gap.
“The fans have been bringing it,” Busch said. “They understand the game. It was the third inning, and to get on their feet like that for multiple at-bats definitely energized the dugout and the team. And it was a fun game to be a part of.”
After dropping the first game of the series against the Brewers, the Cubs have won three in a row, including two against Misiorowski and Brandon Woodruff, two of Milwaukee’s more notable starting pitchers.
The Cubs trimmed the Brewers’ lead in the National League Central to six games.
They started the week with an eight-game deficit.
“With [39] games to go, that’s a pretty sizable gap,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Monday before the first game of the series. “We’ve got a chance to put a dent in it this week.”
Persistent offense and stellar defense were hallmarks of the Cubs’ early-season success. They showcased both in this game, signs of clawing out of their recent rut.
“Not just against the Brewers, but I feel like every win for us matters at this point in the year,” right-hander Jameson Taillon said this week. “And division aside, just worrying about ourselves, it’s nice to get some good wins against a good team.”
The Cubs only had one hit against Misiorowski, but unlike Monday, when they squandered a bases-loaded opportunity, they made the Brewers pay for those three consecutive walks.
Shaw’s walk was especially well-earned. With runners on first and second, he squared around to attempt a sacrifice bunt. But after fouling off two attempts, he had to change tack on a 2-2 count.
Shaw fouled off four more pitches before getting a curveball up and in for ball four, loading the bases for Busch’s game-changing hit.
“That’s huge in a game like that, to get some momentum early on,” Shaw said. “And that really changed the whole dynamic of that game. So Busch’s hit right there is absolutely huge.”
Then in the eighth inning, Shaw provided insurance with a solo home run, his ninth since the All-Star break.
On the other side, Cubs starting pitcher Colin Rea struggled with command issues. In 5⅔ innings, he walked five, a career high. But sharp defense helped Rea, who was charged with two runs, navigate the traffic with minimal damage.
He escaped the fifth inning with runners on first and second by getting William Contreras to ground into a double play. And before handing over the ball in the sixth inning, Rea applauded Shaw and Busch for their play on Anthony Seigler’s bunt. Shaw barehanded the ball on the run, and Busch finished the play with a pick at first base.
The Cubs’ defensive showcase continued when the bullpen took over, including a sliding catch by rookie right fielder Owen Caissie to kick off reliever Brad Keller’s clean eighth inning.
The Brewers got back a run in the ninth on two singles off closer Daniel Palencia. But with the bases loaded, second baseman Nico Hoerner caught a line drive off Contreras’ bat to secure the win.
“This is a good baseball team that’s earned a very good position and a future and excitement for the last seven weeks of the season,” Counsell said this week. “And we’re looking forward to that. And that means there’s challenges. Bring them on.”