Chicago Cubs vs Milwaukee Brewers Match Player Stats On Jul 29, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Jul 29, 2017

MILWAUKEE -- Jason Heyward made sure the Chicago Cubs would not relinquish their National League Central lead.

Heyward blasted a home run to right-center field with one out in the top of the 11th inning Saturday night to lift the Cubs to a 2-1 victory over a Milwaukee Brewers team that refuses to make things easy for Chicago.

The Brewers, who led the division for most of June and July up until the past week, had pulled within a half-game of the Cubs with a 2-1 victory Friday night.

They threatened to flip back on top until Kris Bryant's seventh-inning single forged a 1-1 tie.

Milwaukee, which took a 1-0 lead in the first inning, never dented the scoreboard again.

Heyward ripped a 1-1 pitch from Jared Hughes (3-3) into the Chicago bullpen to give the Cubs their first lead of the weekend series. It was his eighth homer of the season.

Mike Montgomery (2-6) pitched the 10th inning, working around a walk, a wild pitch and an intentional walk to send the game to the 11th.

Wade Davis struck out two in the 11th for his 21st save, allowing a two-out walk to Orlando Arcia.

The Brewers fell to 3-9 in extra-inning games.

After Milwaukee scored in the first inning on Ryan Braun's RBI double, the game turned into a pitching duel -- but not necessarily between the two starters.

Chicago's Kyle Hendricks went five innings, allowing the first-inning run. Making just his second start after seven weeks on the disabled list with right-hand tendinitis, Hendricks left after allowing a leadoff single to Braun in the sixth. He threw 86 pitches, 60 for strikes.

Milwaukee's Junior Guerra, the team's ace in 2016, lasted just three innings. He walked four and allowed a single, needing 61 pitches.

Guerra escaped a bases-loaded jam in the third on a hard liner to center that rookie Lewis Brinson gloved with a lunging effort, and Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell had seen enough.

Rookie Josh Hader took over and allowed just two runners in three innings -- a two-out single to Bryant in the fifth and a leadoff walk to Willson Contreras in the sixth. He struck out six.

The Cubs forged a tie in the seventh. John Jay, who entered on a double switch, reached on a one-out single off reliever Jacob Barnes. He advanced to second on Ben Zobrist's high chopper to first, with Eric Thames taking the sure out. That turned out to be a huge decision, as Bryant laced a single between third and short to score Zobrist.

Barnes hit Rizzo to put two runners on but retired Contreras on a foul popup behind the plate.

Carl Edwards Jr. allowed a leadoff walk in the seventh but struck out the next three. Milwaukee reliever Anthony Swarzek, acquired earlier in the week from the Chicago White Sox, pitched a 1-2-3 eighth.

Chicago reliever Pedro Strop allowed a one-out walk to Braun and a single to Travis Shaw in the eighth before getting the next two batters.

Brewers All-Star closer Corey Knebel allowed a two-out walk in the top of the ninth before retiring Bryant on a fly to center. Bryant had three of the Cubs' four hits to that point.

The Brewers put a two-out threat together in the 10th. Montgomery walked Braun on four pitches with two outs. A wild pitch immediately sent Braun to second, and the Cubs intentionally walked Shaw. Montgomery went to a full count before getting Hernan Perez on a soft liner to left.

The Brewers hit Hendricks hard on their way to a first-inning run. Thames lined a one-out single and scored on Braun's double to the gap in left center. Shaw followed with another missile, but it carried right to center fielder Ian Happ. Perez also ripped a liner that left fielder Kyle Schwarber tracked down just short of the warning track.

NOTES: The Brewers designated RHP Wily Peralta for assignment and called up OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis from Triple-A Colorado Springs. Peralta was a 17-game winner in 2014 but never came close to duplicating that success since. He was Milwaukee's Opening Day starter in 2016 but went 7-11 with a 4.86 ERA and was sent down to Colorado Springs in the middle of the season. Peralta was 5-4 with a 7.85 ERA overall and 1-2 with an 11.84 ERA in 11 relief appearances this year. He allowed runs in eight of his last nine relief appearances. ... Brewers RHP Chase Anderson threw a bullpen session and reported no problems as he is working his way back from a strained oblique sustained June 29. Anderson is 6-2 with a 2.89 ERA. ... Brewers INF Eric Sogard was just 1-for-18 since returning from the disabled list with a strained ankle before slapping a single to left in the fifth inning. He was hitting .331 before the injury but was down to .299 before the single. ... Cubs manager Joe Maddon said that with an off-day on Monday he will flip-flop Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester in the rotation on Tuesday and Wednesday. Lester will pitch Tuesday and then leave the team to attend a funeral. Arrieta will pitch Wednesday.