Milwaukee, WI (Sports Network) – Carlos Gomez scored the game-winning run on a throwing error in the bottom of the 10th inning, as the Milwaukee Brewers edged the Chicago Cubs, 5-4, in the rubber match of a three-game series at Miller Park.
Chicago reliever Bob Howry (1-1) walked Gomez, pinch-hitting for John Axford (3-1), on four pitches to begin the 10th. Craig Counsell dropped a sacrifice bunt down the third base line as Gomez took off for second. Counsell was thrown out at first, but Gomez continued to third base. Xavier Nady’s throw to third sailed over the head of catcher Koyie Hill, allowing Gomez to score the winning run.
“Gomez was flying around the bases,” said Milwaukee manager Ken Macha. “There were a bunch of unusual things out there. Our last three runs came without a hit.”
Corey Hart hit a solo home run, his NL-best 16th of the season, for the Brewers, who have won three of four. Milwaukee starter Dave Bush gave up four runs on six hits and three walks over six innings. He also stroked an RBI single.
Nady blasted a two-run homer and added a sacrifice fly for Chicago, which went 3-6 on its road trip. Ryan Dempster allowed three runs — two earned — on five hits and five walks in 5 1/3 innings.
“We only won one game in each of the three cities,” said Cubs manager Lou Piniella. “We needed to do much better on this road trip.”
Milwaukee grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second inning, when Hart homered to center field. Nady’s sac fly tied the game in the fourth, but the Brewers regained the lead in the home half on a run-scoring single by Bush.
After the teams traded runs in the fifth, Marlon Byrd walked to begin the next inning and scored on Nady’s one-out blast to left-center field. The home run gave the visitors a 4-3 lead, their first of the game, but it was quickly erased in the bottom of the sixth after Chicago reliever Jeff Stevens issued a bases-loaded walk to Ryan Braun.
Byrd and Ryan Theriot each had three hits for Chicago…The Cubs committed three errors…The teams combined to go 2-for-21 with runners in scoring position…Dempster had won four consecutive starts against the Brewers.