The Milwaukee Brewers used a historic, early offensive outburst to crush the Chicago Cubs 9-3 in Game 1 of the best-of-five National League Division Series at American Family Field.
After falling behind on Michael Busch’s leadoff home run, the Brewers stormed back with three consecutive doubles to start the bottom of the first and pushed six runs across. Cubs starter Matthew Boyd was only able to get two outs with Milwaukee batting around in the frame.
The Brewers scored three more in the second to make it 9-1, but Jackson Chourio tweaked his hamstring and was replaced after becoming the first player with three hits in two innings of a postseason game.
Freddy Peralta picked up the win for the Brewers, striking out nine Cubs in 5 ⅔ innings.
The series has an off day on Oct. 5, with Game 2 set for Monday, Oct. 6 in Milwaukee.
Here’s how Game 1 unfolded:
Nico Hoerner home run makes it 9-3
In the top of the eighth, the Cubs got their third solo home run of the game, this one from Nico Hoerner off Jared Koenig, cutting the Brewers’ lead to 9-3.
Aaron Civale turns in heroic relief outing
Chicago right-hander Aaron Civale tossed 4⅓ scoreless innings after entering into a 9-1 game in the second inning, saving significant further strain on the Cubs’ bullpen. Ben Brown came on for Civale in the seventh inning and the Brewers still lead 9-2 heading into the eighth.
Ian Happ home run, Freddy Peralta done in the sixth
In the top of the sixth, Ian Happ hit a two-out solo homer off Freddy Peralta to score Chicago’s first run since Michael Busch led off the game with a longball. After giving up a single to the next batter, Peralta was relieved by manager Pat Murphy to a standing ovation.
The right-hander went 5 ⅔ innings, giving up four hits and two earned runs with nine strikeouts and three walks.
Brewers lead 9-1 through five
Nothing doing since Milwaukee scored its ninth run back in the second inning, but starter Freddy Peralta has been cruising since Michael Busch led off the game with a homer, racking up nine strikeouts through five innings.
Jackson Chourio injury update
After becoming the first player in MLB history with three hits in two innings of a postseason game, Milwaukee Brewers star Jackson Chourio was removed with an apparent hamstring injury after beating out an infield single.
With the bases loaded and two outs in the second inning, Chicago Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw fielded Chourio’s grounder but was unable to catch him at first to score a run – Chourio’s third RBI in two innings – and extend the Brewers’ lead to 9-1.
But the 21-year-old Chourio pulled up after beating out the throw, prompting manager Pat Murphy to remove his left fielder from the game. Chourio previously missed a month of the season after suffering a hamstring strain in late July against the Cubs.
“It’s scary,’ Murphy said on the TBS broadcast between innings. ‘It’s the same hamstring and so we’re worried about it.”
Brewers get three more to make it 9-1
After a huge first inning, the Brewers loaded the bases with nobody out in the top of the second against Michael Soroka. Caleb Durbin then blooped a one-out single to drive in two more runs and extend Milwaukee’s lead to 8-1.
Aaron Civale came on to relieve Soroka with two outs and the bases loaded again, giving up a run-scoring infield single to Jackson Chourio – his third hit in two innings – that made it 9-1.
Brewers score six in wild first inning
After falling behind in the top of the first, the Brewers jumped on Cubs starter Matthew Boyd, starting the game with three three consecutive doubles to take a 2-1 lead. With runners on first and second and one out, Sal Frelick hit a dribbler that got under the glove of second baseman Nico Hoerner, allowing Milwaukee’s third run to score.
With two outs, Blake Perkins lashed an RBI single on the 11th pitch of his at-bat against Boyd, prompting Cubs manager Craig Counsell to pull his starter and bring in Michael Soroka.
Soroka walked shortstop Joey Ortiz – who had a .593 OPS this season – on four pitches to load the bases and then Jackson Chourio notched his second of the inning to extend the Brewers’ lead to 6-0.
Michael Busch home run leads off Game 1
Cubs first baseman Michael Busch hit a solo homer on the third pitch of the game against Brewers starter Freddy Peralta, staking the Cubs to an early 1-0 lead.
Cubs lineup today
Michael Busch (L) 1B
Nico Hoerner (R) 2B
Kyle Tucker (L) DH
Seiya Suzuki (R) RF
Ian Happ (S) LF
Carson Kelly (R) C
Pete Crow-Armstrong (L) CF
Dansby Swanson (R) SS
Matt Shaw (R) 3B
Brewers lineup today
Jackson Chourio (R) LF
Brice Turang (L) 2B
William Contreras (R) C
Christian Yelich (L) DH
Andrew Vaughn (R) 1B
Sal Frelick (L) RF
Caleb Durbin (R) 3B
Blake Perkins (S) CF
Joey Ortiz (R) SS
Cubs roster for NLDS
Catchers: Moises Ballesteros, Carson Kelly, Reese McGuire
Infielders: Michael Busch, Nico Hoerner, Matt Shaw, Dansby Swanson, Justin Turner
Outfielders: Kevin Alcantara, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, Kyle Tucker
Utilityman: Willi Castro
Left-handed pitchers: Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, Drew Pomeranz, Caleb Thielbar
Right-handed pitchers: Aaron Civale, Ben Brown, Brad Keller, Andrew Kittredge, Daniel Palencia, Colin Rea, Michael Soroka, Jameson Taillon
Brewers roster for NLDS
Catchers: William Contreras, Danny Jansen
Infielders: Jake Bauers, Caleb Durbin, Andruw Monasterio, Joey Ortiz, Brice Turang, Andrew Vaughn
Outfielders: Jackson Chourio, Isaac Collins, Sal Frelick, Brandon Lockridge, Blake Perkins, Christian Yelich
Left-handed pitchers: Aaron Ashby, Robert Gasser, Jared Koenig, Jose Quintana
Right-handed pitchers: Grant Anderson, Nick Mears, Trevor Megill, Jacob Misiorowski, Freddy Peralta, Chad Patrick, Quinn Priester, Abner Uribe
Brewers players downplay reunion with Craig Counsell in playoffs
You could say Christian Yelich is undaunted facing his old manager.
‘It’s not like ‘Couns’ has exotic blitz packages or has a good play-action pass game or anything like that that’s going to make it difficult on us,’ Yelich joked Oct. 3 as players met the media in advance of the National League Division Series between the Cubs and Brewers. ‘I have a lot of respect for him. He’s great at what he does. But we’re not going to worry about the two-high safety look from Couns.’
Yelich is one of nine Brewers players likely to make the NLDS roster who played for Counsell in 2023, his last year with Milwaukee, and it’s 10 players counting injured starter Brandon Woodruff.
– JR Radcliffe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
What time is Cubs vs Brewers?
Saturday’s game starts at 2:08 p.m. at American Family Field in Milwaukee.