CHICAGO (AP) — Ian Happ lined a solo homer, six Chicago pitchers cobbled together a five-hitter and the Cubs beat the Milwaukee Brewers 3-1 on Monday night.
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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.
“Not enough strikes, clearly,” Chicago manager Craig Counsell said. “But you still look up and they’ve got no runs. Too many walks for sure, but we survived.”
Five relievers followed with 5 2/3 innings one-run ball. The first, Drew Smyly (3-5), got five outs the for the win and Hector Neris tossed the ninth for his 14th save.
“Just super impressive,” Happ said. “Smyly comes out there, a big situation and shuts it down. Then everybody after him did their job, executing pitches, filling up the strike zone, ahead in counts.”
Brewers rookie Tobias Myers (6-4) allowed three runs, two earned, on six hits in 5 1/3 innings.
“We didn’t come up with the big hit,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “We did a great job in some areas. I think our youth showed tonight.”
Assad walked three straight with two outs in the third to load the bases, but got Sal Frelick to ground out. Assad said through a translator that after issuing the first walk of the inning, to Contreras, “everything just sped up” on him.
The Cubs took a 1-0 lead in the bottom half on Busch’s RBI single. The rookie also made several sharp plays at first base.
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.
“Tobias was fabulous,” Murphy said. “He threw the ball great, but … the wild pitch was an 0-2 pitch with the bases loaded and then throwing the ball away at second, that accounted for two of the three runs. Then he gave up the home run.”
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.
TOP PHOTO: FILE – A Milwaukee Brewers mascot cheers in the empty stands during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)