The Cubs stayed alive within the Nationwide League Division Sequence on Wednesday, narrowly beating the Brewers in a 4-3 Recreation 3 squeaker. Neither beginning pitcher went lengthy, with each groups needing to go comparatively deep into their bullpens to complete out the competition; a mixed 10 relievers had been used.
Carlos Zambrano threw out the ceremonial first pitch, 13 years after his ultimate recreation within the majors — Large Z’s former teammate, Wealthy Hill, appeared for the Royals in 2025 and is older than him — however issues acquired off to an inauspicious begin for the Cubs after that, as a lazy curve from starter Jameson Taillon was far much less lazily lashed down the primary final analysis into proper subject for a Christian Yelich double. After a Jackson Chourio groundout, Taillon misplaced the strike zone a bit, strolling Brice Turang to place runners on first and second for William Contreras. Contreras hit an infield single to load the bases. After all, that’s burying the lede a bit, however you couldn’t see that I used to be making the air quotes gesture with my fingers whereas I used to be writing that sentence. The “infield single” was something however; it was a popup on the infield that Michael Busch misplaced within the solar whereas his sun shades remained unused on his cap. Each Carson Kelly and Nico Hoerner ran over, however they weren’t in time to salvage the play. Dansby Swanson ran over as nicely, which grew to become an issue when Kelly picked up the ball however had no one to truly throw to for an tried forceout of Turang.
Because the Cubs received the sport anyway, this play needn’t elicit any excessive feelings, but it surely’s nonetheless value addressing the infield fly concern. One of many keys to calling an infield fly is whether or not, primarily based on the umpire’s judgment, a play will be made by an infielder with strange effort. Even when the popup was hit in a spot that usually makes for a straightforward play, the solar was an element, and from Busch’s arm shimmying at first, it was clear fairly shortly that it wasn’t as routine of a play because it usually is likely to be. With out the umpire’s name, there was no infield fly.
Catastrophe didn’t guarantee, nevertheless, and whereas Sal Frelick’s sac fly scored Yelich from third to place Milwaukee on the board, a Caleb Durbin flyout put an finish to an inning the Cubs had been little doubt joyful to have escaped with only a 1-0 deficit.
For Quinn Priester and the Brewers, the underside half of the body was a virtually unmitigated catastrophe. For the Cubs, it was a textbook instance of the facility of plate self-discipline when used correctly. Priester wasn’t absurdly wild in his inning of labor, however the Cubs labored the depend towards him like they had been members in a Kevin Youkilis-themed fantasy camp, taking Priester deep into each plate look and swinging on the meaty stuff. Chicago’s batters solely whiffed on three of their 17 swings towards Priester, and of the three balls that had been put in play that inning, all three had an exit velocity over 100 mph. Busch’s leadoff house run tied the sport at 1-1, and a pair of singles and walks scored two extra.
With runners on first and third and two outs, Priester’s day was at an finish. Nick Mears got here in and allowed a fourth run with a fastball nicely down and away, scoring Ian Happ from third. After strolling Swanson, Mears whiffed Matt Shaw with a bunch of fastballs.
That Happ run was the final one the Cubs scored in Recreation 3. Having to cowl 8 1/3 innings, the Brewers’ bullpen principally stayed out of hassle, with simply two temporary rallies that got here to naught.
Jose Quintana’s most harmful second got here within the fourth after a screaming double into the ivy for Seiya Suzuki and a stroll to Happ after getting forward 0-2. He cleaned up his personal mess, nevertheless, setting Kelly, Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Swanson down so as. Quintana’s outing wasn’t precisely a shining second, however he stored Chicago from doing any additional harm. He didn’t miss many bats, and whereas that isn’t uncommon for him, he additionally didn’t induce a lot in the best way of soppy contact.
After Quintana’s three innings of labor, Grant Anderson contributed two of his personal, solely permitting a two-out hit to Swanson within the sixth that got here to nothing. He was on the mound, nevertheless, for one of many funnier performs of the sport — nicely, perhaps not in the event you’re a Cubs coach — after inheriting Kyle Tucker at first base from Quintana. Tucker appeared to determine on a bizarre compromise between main off first and stealing second, leading to him being caught awkwardly in no man’s land. He was nipped attempting to get again to first far too late.
Chicago’s final fruitless try so as to add an insurance coverage run got here within the seventh after singles by Hoerner and Tucker knocked Jared Koenig out of the sport. Chad Patrick got here into the end the Cubs for the inning after which once more within the eighth.
For his or her half, the Brewers spent the sport attempting to chip away at that three-run deficit from the primary inning. Taillon settled down after the sport’s preliminary shenanigans, however one-out singles from Frelick and Durbin put the tying run on the plate within the fourth. A 3rd single from Jake Bauers trimmed the deficit to 2 runs. A security squeeze from Brandon Lockridge was hit too onerous, leaving the Cubs with loads of time to entice Durbin, the runner on third, in a rundown, although Bauers did advance to 3rd, whereas Lockridge reached second. Drew Pomeranz had solely simply began warming up, and Taillon completed the innings with no additional harm.
Pomeranz and Daniel Palencia mowed down the Brewers for 2 innings, however Andrew Kittredge didn’t fare almost as nicely within the seventh. Bauers, who explored pitching this spring to be able to have a greater probability of constant his massive league profession, had his second massive hit, a round-tripper on Kittredge’s first providing. Kittredge recovered to shut out the remainder of the inning, however allowed a leadoff double to Chourio within the eighth earlier than being yanked for Caleb Thielbar.
Thielbar managed to get strike 4 on Turang — strike three was fairly awfully de-framed by the catcher Kelly right into a ball — however Contreras walked to proceed the rally. Frelick simply barely beat out a grounder to disclaim Thielbar a double play to finish the inning. Supervisor Craig Counsell apparently was tired of seeing Thielbar tackle Durbin to see which Caleb reigned supreme, and introduced in Brad Keller. Keller instantly walked Durbin, and a pitch clock violation acquired Bauers a free ball to begin his at-bat. However redemption was within the forecast quite than tragedy; Keller whiffed Bauers, then set the Brewers down so as within the ninth to complete issues, making up for an unsightly look final week that just about gave the Padres their comeback.
There it ended, 4-3 Cubs. The Cubs stay the underdogs, having to win two video games in a row, however their 2025 season will proceed a minimum of another day.