MILWAUKEE — Andrew Vaughn hit a tiebreaking homer within the fourth inning and William Contreras and Brice Turang additionally went deep because the Milwaukee Brewers shook off their current historical past of playoff frustration by beating the Chicago Cubs 3-1 within the decisive fifth sport of their NL Division Sequence on Saturday.
The Brewers, making their seventh playoff look in eight years, earned their first postseason sequence win since sweeping Colorado in a 2018 NLDS. Milwaukee was on the verge of its second World Sequence berth that 12 months earlier than shedding Recreation 7 of the Nationwide League Championship Sequence at house to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Now, the Brewers get one other NLCS matchup with the defending World Sequence champion Dodgers, who beat the Philadelphia Phillies in 4 video games within the different NL Division Sequence. Recreation 1 is Monday at Milwaukee because the Brewers chase their first pennant since 1982 — again once they performed within the American League.
“Lots of people didn’t consider in them early on, and so they simply continued to remain relentless,” Brewers supervisor Pat Murphy stated.
After shedding slugging shortstop Willy Adames in free company and buying and selling away All-Star nearer Devin Williams final winter, the scrappy Brewers completed the common season with the very best file within the majors at 97-65.
So maybe it was no shock that NL Central champion Milwaukee gained with an all-hands-on-deck pitching strategy within the last sport towards wild-card Chicago. Trevor Megill, Jacob Misiorowski, Aaron Ashby, Chad Patrick and Abner Uribe mixed on a four-hitter, with Uribe getting six outs for the primary multi-inning save of his profession.
“You may name them the common Joes, however I say they’re the above-average Joes,” Murphy stated.
The victory was significantly candy for Milwaukee followers as a result of it got here towards the membership’s greatest rival and knocked Cubs supervisor Craig Counsell out of the postseason.
Counsell grew up within the Milwaukee space, performed for the Brewers and have become the winningest supervisor in workforce historical past till he left for Chicago.
Within the two seasons since Counsell’s departure, Brewers followers have booed each point out of his identify at any time when the Cubs have visited American Household Area. They did it once more Saturday, although the sellout crowd appeared to incorporate extra Cubs backers than in Milwaukee’s Recreation 1 and Recreation 2 house victories.
“Simply actually comfortable for ‘em,” longtime Brewers star Christian Yelich stated of Milwaukee followers. “They’ve caught with us over time by means of some actually powerful losses. And I do know there was so much driving on this sequence for them simply due to the rivalry, and actually comfortable that we might ship for ’em as a result of they actually deserve it.”
The Cubs pressured Recreation 5 by successful two straight at Wrigley Area. They have been trying to turn out to be the eleventh workforce to erase a 2-0 deficit and win a best-of-five playoff sequence, a feat final achieved by the New York Yankees towards Cleveland of their 2017 ALDS.
“I’m dissatisfied. I’m unhappy,” Counsell stated. “I believe this workforce did so much to honor the Chicago Cub uniform. Within the massive image, that’s how I really feel.”
Homers produced all of the runs on this winner-take-all sport, and every of Milwaukee’s got here with two outs.
Contreras hit a 389-foot shot to left-center off Drew Pomeranz within the first inning. Vaughn despatched a 3-2 pitch from Colin Rea over the left-field wall to interrupt a 1-all tie, and Turang supplied some insurance coverage with a 416-foot drive to middle off Andrew Kittredge within the seventh.
“We battle again. That’s our mentality. We battle again,” Vaughn stated. “We’re going to punch another person. We’re going to throw it proper again.”
Chicago’s Seiya Suzuki greeted Misiorowski by sending a 101.4 mph fastball into the Cubs bullpen main off the second inning, however that was the one run the rookie right-hander allowed in 4 innings. Misiorowski struck out three whereas giving up three hits and strolling none to earn his second win of the sequence.
He pitched three innings of shutout aid in Milwaukee’s 7-3 triumph in Recreation 2.
“It’s been loopy,” the 23-year-old Misiorowski stated. “It’s been a whirlwind and it’s been enjoyable.”
The Brewers introduced in Misiorowski within the second inning after Megill labored because the opener and retired the aspect so as within the first. The Cubs had totaled 11 first-inning runs within the first 4 video games of the sequence with out ever going scoreless within the opening body.
After Suzuki’s homer, they didn’t rating once more Saturday.
“We simply didn’t do a lot. We had six baserunners. You’re going to must hit homers to have any runs scoring in eventualities like that. They pitched very effectively,” Counsell stated. “This workforce is loaded with excellent pitching. It’s actually a energy of the workforce. And it’s why they’ve gained so many video games.”
Chicago’s greatest menace got here when it put two on with no person out within the sixth towards Ashby, who had thrown 32 pitches two nights earlier in Milwaukee’s 6-0 Recreation 4 loss. Michael Busch hit a leadoff single earlier than Ashby grazed Nico Hoerner with a pitch.
Ashby obtained Kyle Tucker to strike out swinging at a 3-2 pitch for the primary out. Patrick then got here out of the bullpen and retired Suzuki on a fly to left earlier than Ian Happ struck out trying.
“We didn’t get it completed immediately, and that hurts,” Counsell stated. “Man, it doesn’t really feel good, however I believe once you zoom again a bit of bit, we did some good issues as effectively.”
