Cubs survive shaky ninth, win third straight over Brewers

Chicago Cubs’ Michael Busch hits a three-run double Wednesday during the third inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field.
AP

This game started out like some sort of tiebreaker scenario. Both pitchers walk the bases loaded, then each team gets one swing to try to make something happen.

The Brewers got a chopper to second base and scored 1 run. The Cubs got a bases-clearing double by Michael Busch.

Those 3 runs in the third inning, plus a solo homer by Matt Shaw in the eighth, were enough to give the Cubs their third in a row over Milwaukee, 4-3 at Wrigley Field. As of Monday, the Brewers had been 15-1 in the month of August.

There were some nervous moments at the end. Closer Daniel Palencia gave up a run on 2 walks and 2 hits. Then with the bases loaded, coaxed a lineout to second base from William Contreras to end the game.

“Some things can go the wrong way for you, but you’ve got to keep making pitches,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “And Daniel did enough tonight. He just kept making pitches.”

It’s interesting how the outlook can change so quickly during a baseball season. After Monday’s 7-0 thumping, the Cubs were a lost cause. Now they’re dangerous again, having clinched this five-game series, with one more left Thursday afternoon.

Ignoring his 5 walks on the night, Cubs starter Colin Rea was very good, allowing just 3 hits and 2 earned runs against his former team. The Brewers started hard-throwing rookie Jacob Misiorowski, who lasted just 4 innings.

“I don’t think you’re going to see many starts where Colin walks five,” Counsell said. “That’s very unlike him, but he pitched around it and made pitches when he had to.”

Counsell confirmed an ESPN report that outfielder Kyle Tucker was diagnosed with a hairline fracture in his right hand, which happened when something went wrong on a slide at the end of May. But Counsell treated it like old news, essentially, and suggested the fracture has long since healed.

“I think that’s kind of out there (publicly),” he said. “He injured his hand on a slide. Initial X-rays were negative, sat out a day, I think we had an off-day, pinch-hit the next day. Then he was kind of sore but good to go. He was sore for a little while but was able to play. We did some more imaging that showed a small fracture that was healing, and that’s it.

“Is it possible playing through (the injury) changed some things (in Tucker’s swing)? Yeah, absolutely. I think it’s probably likely at some point that happened. He wanted to play.”

Tucker posted a .982 OPS in June, immediately after the injury. That slipped to .675 in July and .381 so far in August. He was not in Wednesday’s lineup, giving him three games and two days off as the Cubs try to cure his batting slump.

The original plan, in Counsell’s mind, was two days off and take it from there. They could also give Tucker a third day and send him back into right field when the Cubs get to Anaheim on Friday to face the Angels.

“As players, when you struggle, the thing you feel worst about is you want to win and you’re not contributing to wins,” Counsell said. “It’s a lot easier to struggle when you’re winning. It’s hard to struggle when you’re losing. That demonstrates what Kyle’s interested in, and that demonstrates why it hurts.”

Giving Tucker multiple days off allows him the chance to spend time working on things in the batting cage, without having to take the field immediately afterward.

Back in right field Wednesday, rookie Owen Caissie had a deep flyball sail over his head that might have been catchable but did no damage. Caissie then made a sliding catch of a sinking liner to rob Contreras leading off the eighth inning.

Pitcher Cade Horton, who left Monday’s game in the third inning with a blister, appears to be on track to start Saturday in Anaheim, Counsell said.

Cub third baseman Matt Shaw hits a home run Wednesday during the eighth inning oagainst the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field.
AP