Brewers @ Cubs: A Few Hits Shy of a Sweep

Game 1 Brewers 7 – Cubs 6

Brewers 7, Cubs 6 (Final Score) on MLB Gameday

Small’s Debut
The headline leading into the first game of the double-header  was the major league debut of Brewers pitcher Ethan Small. Small had dominated the minor leagues since being drafted by the Crew in the first round of the 2019 draft to the tune of a 1.78 era and 177 Ks in over 136 innings of work. Small was called up to fill the void made by the injury to Freddy Peralta.

Things started out just fine for Small who went two scoreless innings with four strikeouts and no walks. If you’re looking for a reason to keep Small in the minors for a little while it’s control and that certainly came to bear in the third inning. He walked four batters including three with two outs and after two earned runs and 39 pitches, Brewers manager Craig Counsell pulled the plug.

On day where the wind was blowing 20 mph out of Wrigley, the Brewers and Cubs combined for five home runs. Thankfully, the Brewers netted three of them to provide the winning margin. Jace Peterson took Cubs starter Matt Swarmer deep for a solo dinger in the third, Tyrone Taylor stayed white hot tying the game with a two run shot in the sixth, and Luis Urias capped the scoring with a three run shot in the seventh.

The Brewers long relief did just enough after Small’s departure to hold the Cubs in check before turning things over to Devin Williams and Josh Hader. They combined to hold on to a one run lead over two innings and secure the victory. Hader earned his 17^th save of the year, Williams his 12^th hold.

Game 2 Brewers 3 – Cubs 1

Brewers 3, Cubs 1 (Final Score) on MLB Gameday

Ashby Shines, Hader Hates Resting
I have to be honest, it’s weird having so much solid starting pitching. As a child of the 80’s, it’s almost surreal having survived so many years hoping that guys like Jeff D’Amico would evolve into just a decent starter. I almost feel guilty….almost. The Brewers fifth best starter is Aaron Ashby and the buzz about him is starting to grow. When he throws strikes, he is a force to be reckoned with. And unlike Ethan Small in game one, Ashby was able to find the plate and dominate the Cubs striking out 12 over six innings.

Ashby was helped out by of the better defensive plays you will see this year from Tyrone Taylor. With two outs and two on in the sixth, Frank Schwindel hit a soft fly to shallow right. Taylor raced over and made a leaping catch as he crashed into the wall that hugs the foul line. Simply amazing

Ashby ran out of gas (and luck) in the seventh. He allowed a sharp single to Patrick Wisdom, and infield hit to Nelson Velasquez and a bunt sing to Clint Frazier loading the bases with zero outs. Brad “Don’t Call Me Doug Henning” Boxberger somehow, some way got out of the jam without allowing a run. He struck out Nico Hoerner and induced an inning ending double play to Andrelton Simmons preserving the lead for Ashby.

A Victor Caratini solo homer and a run scoring double from Rowdy Telez gave the Crew all the offense they would need. Tyrone Taylor slammed a solo home run (his second of the day) in the eighth to give the Brewers a 3 – 1 lead. Josh Hader came on to secure his second save of the day tying a record that will live forever. There have been seven Brewers pitchers that have had multiple saves in a single day but in all of major league baseball there have been only three since 2019. He’s yet to allow a run and opponents are 4-for-55 against him, with six walks and 26 strikeouts. A relief pitcher hasn’t won a Cy Young since 2003 but Hader may be in the running if he keeps this up.

Game 3 Brewers 7 – Cubs 8

Brewers 7, Cubs 8 (Final Score) on MLB Gameday

Bullpen, Defense Falter Late
The Cubs are sure glad to see Tyrone Taylor leave Chicago. After homering once in both ends of a double header and robbing Frank Schwindel of a potential run scoring hit on Monday, Taylor was at it again on Tuesday. His three run double in the third kicked off the scoring for Milwaukee and put them ahead by two. Taylor finished off May with a bang sporting slash line of .314/.368/.667 the last two weeks of the month

Eric Lauer had his shortest outing of the year going only four innings giving up three runs two of which were earned. Lauer gave up an laser beam home run to Willson Contreras in the first that left the bat at 116 mph. He couldn’t get through an inning clean which drove up his pitch count and ultimately caused his exodus from the game.

Victor Caratini, starting his second consecutive game, hammered a three run home run in the top of the sixth to give the Brewers a three run lead. Unfortunately, Trevor Kelley had an outing to forget giving up three runs without recording an out in the bottom of the inning. Trevor Gott came in with a man on and gave up a run scoring double which was charged to Kelley giving him four earned runs in zero innings pitched. That won’t help the ERA. It wasn’t totally Kelley’s fault as the outfield defense had a trio of plays that weren’t errors but in at least two cases probably should have been caught. The wind did them no favors but had they caught one of those balls, the inning probably tilts in their favor.

The Brewers were able to tie it up on a Rowdy Telez single in the seventh that drove in Christian Yelich who led things off with a triple. But an eighth inning solo home run by Patrick “The Tooth” Wisdom off Brad Boxberger gave the Cubs a lead they would not relinquish.

Game 4 Brewers 3 – Cubs 4

Brewers 3, Cubs 1 (Final Score) on MLB Gameday

Latex Salesman Makes Debut, Brewers Lose in Extras
Another day another major league debut for the Brewers starting pitching staff. Instead of heralded prosect Ethan Small, however, this time it was Jason “Don’t Call Me George Constanza” Alexander who signed a minor-league deal with the Brewers this spring after spending four seasons split between the Angels and Marlins farm systems (he did not pitch in 2020).

Alexander provided a quality start and then some totaling seven innings while giving up three runs, two earned. Not an overly hard thrower by modern standards (he topped out at 95 mph), Alexander kept Cubs hitters off balance primarily with his sinker inducing a whopping 13 ground outs. Too soon to say if he’ll be needed on the bump again but he’s proved he is up to the task should the call come.

Unfortunately, the Brewers couldn’t do enough on offense to get Alexander the W. After going down 2-0 in the first, the Brewers clawed back with a single run in both the third and fourth to tie it up. In the fifth, Jace Peterson laced a double to the wall in center that scored Mike Brosseau from second. The play was initially called out but upon review it was obvious Brosseau snuck a toe in before the tag giving the Brewers a one run lead.

The lead didn’t last long as the Cubs tied it up in the bottom of the inning. It stayed that way until the 10^th. The Brewers had a man on third and one out but Jace Peterson was gunned down at home on the dreaded “contact play” grounder to second. The Cubs took advantage of the new man on second rule playing a bit of small ball to advance Jason Heyward  to third before a weak fly to left scored him via sacrifice. The Brewers end up splitting the four game series with the Cubs probably feeling it’s one they should have taken at least three of four.

Up Next
The Brewers finished their 11 games in 10 days road trip with a record of 6 – 5 and come back north for a four-game series against the San Diego Padres starting Thursday night at American Family Field.