The Brewers are now just three outs away from taking a commanding 2-0 lead in the NLDS against their NL Central rivals, the Chicago Cubs, after a stellar display of pitching and power hitting in Game 2.
It’s hard to remember now, but Aaron Ashby’s eventful first inning is a distant memory, as five subsequent Brewers pitchers have been lights out. After coming on in relief with one out in the eighth, Jared Koenig set the Cubs down in order, retiring all four batters he faced. Then, All-Star closer Trevor Megill, who had been sidelined for a month due to a right flexor strain, was called upon to close out the game. Megill did just that, getting Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ to pop out to end the inning.
The Brewers have led 7-3 for most of the game, with their bullpen keeping the Cubs’ high-powered offense at bay. Jacob Misiorowski was a key figure, pitching three scoreless innings while striking out four. The 22-year-old was followed by fellow rookie Chad Patrick, who kept the Cubs off the board in the sixth inning. Patrick struck out Carson Kelly and Pete Crow-Armstrong before getting Dansby Swanson to ground out to first, completing a perfect 1-2-3 inning.
And while the pitching has been outstanding, it was the Brewers’ offense that delivered a huge blow when Jackson Chourio crushed a three-run homer to extend the lead. After being a question mark for Game 2 due to a tweaked hamstring from Game 1, Chourio proved his health by taking Daniel Palencia deep into the stands, driving in Caleb Durbin and Joey Ortiz. Chourio’s blast gave the Brewers a four-run cushion, thrilling the home crowd at American Family Field.
The Brewers had already taken the lead earlier in the game with a solo home run from William Contreras. Contreras launched a 1-1 pitch from Cubs starter Shota Imanaga into the second deck in left field. The long ball, which sent Bernie Brewer down his iconic slide, gave the Brewers a 4-3 lead. Contreras’s homer came after a single from Christian Yelich, and the Cubs quickly pulled Imanaga after he allowed four runs in just 2⅔ innings. Daniel Palencia came on in relief but was unable to stem the tide.
The pitching continued to shine in the third when Jacob Misiorowski shut down the Cubs once again, working his way out of a jam. After getting Kyle Tucker to ground out, Misiorowski walked Seiya Suzuki. But he struck out Ian Happ and then made a nifty play on a comebacker from Carson Kelly, sprinting to first to complete the out and end the threat. The fired-up Misiorowski was visibly amped, pumping his fist as he headed back to the dugout.
Second Inning Passes Without Offensive Action
Neither the Brewers nor the Cubs could find their stride in the second inning, as both teams went scoreless.
The Brewers, in full bullpen mode, made a quick pitching change, with Nick Mears replacing Aaron Ashby to get the final out of the inning. Despite the early move, the Cubs’ starter, Shota Imanaga, retired the Brewers’ side in order to end the second frame.
On the Brewers’ side, rookie fireballer Jacob Misiorowski is now set to take the mound for the top of the third inning, with the score locked at 3-3.
Score: Brewers 3, Cubs 3
Vaughn’s Three-Run Blast Ties It Up
Andrew Vaughn delivered another clutch performance, blasting a two-out, three-run home run in the bottom of the first to erase the Cubs’ brief early lead.
The long ball, which cleared the right-center field fence, came after back-to-back singles from William Contreras and Christian Yelich, who had both reached with two outs. Vaughn’s timely blast tied the score at 3-3 and sent the home crowd into a frenzy.
Cubs starter Shota Imanaga had looked sharp early on, striking out the first two batters he faced. But Vaughn, who’s had a history of tormenting the Cubs — including a grand slam against them back on July 29 — made sure the Brewers didn’t go quietly.
Remarkably, this is the first time in Major League Baseball postseason history that both teams have hit a three-run home run (or grand slam) in the first inning of a game, according to MLB’s Sarah Langs.
