Ian Happ lined a solo home run, six Chicago pitchers cobbled together a five-hitter and the Cubs beat the Milwaukee Brewers 3-1 on Monday night at Wrigley Field.
Michael Busch and Dansby Swanson each had two hits as the Cubs twice escaped based-loaded jams to end NL Central-leading Milwaukee’s three-game winning streak.
Willy Adames’ team-leading 16th home run got the Brewers on the board in the eighth.
Garrett Mitchell had two hits, and William Contreras and Joey Ortiz doubled for the Brewers, who failed to cash in on six walks from Chicago starter Javier Assad. He gave up just one hit but only lasted 3 1/3 innings in his second outing since returning from a right forearm strain.
Five relievers followed with 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball. The first, Drew Smyly (3-5), got five outs for the win and Héctor Neris tossed the ninth for his 14th save.
Brewers rookie Tobias Myers (6-4) allowed three runs, two earned, on six hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Assad walked three straight with two outs in the third to load the bases but got Sal Frelick to ground out. The Cubs took a 1-0 lead in the bottom half on Busch’s RBI single.
The Brewers loaded the bases again in the fourth but failed to score.
After Assad issued back-to-back walks, Smyly relieved and gave up a sharp single to Mitchell, but lead runner Rhys Hoskins held at third. Smyly induced two grounders to escape the jam.
The Cubs made it 2-0 in the bottom half when Mike Tauchman sprinted home from third on Myers’ wild pitch.
Happ lined his 16th homer into the basket in right in the sixth. Adames went deep to right-center off Porter Hodge in the eighth.
Trainer’s room
Cubs: Activated RHP Julian Merryweather (right rib stress fracture) from the 60-day injured list and optioned RHP Hunter Bigge to Triple-A Iowa. Merryweather, out since April 6, had a 1.93 ERA in 4 2/3 innings over four relief appearances before being hurt. LHP Luke Little (left shoulder strain) was transferred to the 60-day IL. … Manager Craig Counsell said OF Cody Bellinger (left middle finger fracture) was making progress hitting and would return to fielding drills on Tuesday. The 2019 NL MVP was hit by a pitch at Baltimore on July 10.
Up next
Brewers RHP Colin Rea (9-3, 3.77 ERA) faces Cubs RHP Jameson Taillon (7-4, 3.10) on Tuesday night.
