For much of Tuesday night’s game against Milwaukee, it just seemed like it wasn’t the Cubs night.
Starter Randy Wells gave up three runs on eight hits and three walks while striking out just two. The Brewers hit Wells hard early and often, scoring their first two runs in the third inning after Wells made a throwing error to put runners on first and third with nobody out. An RBI single by Ryan Braun plated the runner at third, and a walk to Prince Fielder followed by a fielder’s choice by Casey McGehee put the Cubs in a 2-0 hole.The Brewers continued the damage in the fourth inning, when they loaded the bases with just a single out. Fielder then hit a sacrifice fly to make the deficit 3-0.
Milwaukee starter Yovani Gallardo was fantastic on the evening, pitching seven innings of three hit baseball. He allowed just one run — off a solo home run by Geovany Soto — while striking out a season high ten batters. When he left the game, he had a 4-1 lead. Unfortunately for Gallardo, the Milwaukee bullpen was not nearly as sharp on the evening.
With one away in the bottom of the eighth inning, Kosuke Fukudome hit a ground rule double off of Marco Estrada. Starlin Castro then doubled to drive in Fukudome, cutting the score to 4-2. Aramis Ramirez followed with a timely two run home run to short left, tying the game at four.
Neither team was able to capitalize on opportunities in the ninth inning, and the Cubs would have to wait until the bottom of the tenth to win it. Tony Campana doubled to lead off the inning, was moved up to third on a sac bunt by Fukudome, and then scored on Starlin Castro’s walk-off RBI single. Jeff Samardzija ended up with the win on the night.
The teams will play game three of the four game set on Wednesday night at Wrigley. First pitch will be at 7:05 P.M., CDT.