Brewers blow three 1-run leads, fall 6-5 to Chicago in 11 innings

August 20, 2022
|In Brewers
|By Zach Heilprin

Milwaukee blew one-run leads three times Saturday afternoon on its way to a 6-5 walk-off loss to the Cubs in Chicago.

The Brewers led 3-2 heading to the ninth inning and closer Devin Williams on the mound. After retiring the first batter, Williams proceeded to walk a pair of batters before Nick Madgril drove in the game-tying run with a single to right field. Then, after taking a 4-3 lead in the 10th, Taylor Rogers couldn’t keep it, sending the game to the 11th tied 4-4. It was the same story there, with Milwaukee scoring a run to make it 5-4 only to see Peter Strzelecki give up a pair of runs, highlighted by a game-winning single from Willson Contreras.

Milwaukee’s offense struggled most of the day as Marcus Stroman had some of his best stuff. The veteran allowed just one run on two hits while striking out five. But that second hit he allowed came in the eighth inning and the Brewers made him pay, as Willy Adames drilled a two-run homer off of reliever Rowan Wick to take a 3-2 advantage.

Manager Craig Counsell turned to Matt Bush in the eighth and he posted a scoreless inning, but Williams was unable to do the same, blowing a save opportunity for the first time this season.

Starter Freddy Peralta was solid over six innings of work, his longest outing since coming off the injured list in early August. The righty made one big mistake, leaving a slider over the plate that Contreras deposited into the stands for a two-run homer.

Adames finished with a couple hits, while Andrew McCutchen drove in Milwaukee’s other run grounding into a fielder’s choice to score Christian Yelich. Kolten Wong and Mike Brosseau each had an RBI.

Milwaukee is now 6-11 since the trade deadline and has fallen a season-high 4 1/2 games back of St. Louis in the NL Central. The club is also now 1 1/2 games behind San Diego for a wild card spot.

The Brewers will try to salvage a game of their series against the Cubs when the two teams meet again Sunday afternoon.