Cubs 6, Brewers 3: In extra innings, finally, the bats come alive

So that’s what it takes — extra innings.

The Cubs bats were silent for nine, as they have been way too many times this month. In the 10th inning, after a ninth-inning Brewers run with two out tied the game, those bats exploded for five runs and the Cubs ended their five-game losing streak with a 6-3 victory in Milwaukee.

Let’s begin, though, with the spectacular start by Ben Brown. Brown retired the first 13 Brewers, six by strikeout, before Jake Bauers walked with one out in the fifth. Brown, though, continued mowing down Milwaukee hitters, though he issued one more walk in that fifth inning. When he was done after 93 pitches (64 strikes), he had thrown seven no-hit innings and struck out 10. On the Marquee broadcast, they noted that only two other pitchers in Cubs history had done that — thrown at least seven no-hit innings in a game with at least 10 strikeouts. Those two are Carlos Zambrano in his 2008 no-hitter and Jake Arrieta in his 2015 no-hitter. That’s it, that’s the list.

Here are Brown’s 10 strikeouts [VIDEO].

More on Brown from BCB’s JohnW53:

Ben Brown earned a Game Score of 81, a season high by a Cubs starter, eclipsing the 78 by Justin Steele on Monday. Shota Imanaga had 2 scores of 77 and another of 75.

The last Cub to pitch seven no-hit innings and not continue pitching: King Cole, on July 31, 1910, when Game 2 of a doubleheader was called after seven innings. The Cubs won at St. Louis, 4-0.

The longest Cub no-hit outing of fewer than nine innings since then: Zach Davies, six innings at Los Angeles vs. the Dodgers on June 24, 2021. The Cubs went on to no-hit the Dodgers, 4-0.

Mark Prior went 5⅔ at New York vs. Mets on July 26, 2006. Jon Lester went five at Cincinnati on July 27, 2020. Matt Clement went five at Montreal on Sept. 10, 2003.

Those are the Cubs’ only no-hit starts of at least five innings that weren’t completed since 1901.

And more on Brown:

That’s all great, and Brown looks like he can become a dominant starter in this league. He’s probably going to have to come up with a good third pitch, though. Here’s a review of Brown’s outing [VIDEO].

Brown got some defensive help in the sixth from Christopher Morel [VIDEO].

And when Cody Bellinger stole a home run from Willy Adames in the seventh [VIDEO].

But the Cubs managed just one run while Brown was in the game, this third-inning home run by Michael Busch [VIDEO].

That ball was crushed! [VIDEO]

Same old, same old again, though, from the rest of the Cubs offense. They managed to load the bases with two out in the sixth on singles by Miguel Amaya and Bellinger and a walk by Morel. But Ian Happ struck out to end the inning.

Craig Counsell did the right thing, lifting Brown after seven, because 93 pitches was a season high. But then, the team had to trust a largely untrustworthy bullpen. Hayden Wesneski struck out a pair, sandwiched around a single by Sal Frelick that broke up the combined no-hit bid [VIDEO].

Mark Leiter Jr. was summoned and he struck out Gary Sanchez to end the eighth.

The Cubs could not score in the top of the ninth, despite loading the bases again, so it was up to Hector Neris to preserve a 1-0 lead.

As you already know, he did not do that. Neris retired the first two hitters on routine ground balls, then walked Christian Yelich. Then Neris was called for a balk, advancing Yelich to second. It was his second balk of the year and this is an issue Neris has from time to time, not coming to a complete stop before throwing his pitch.

That balk wound up a key play, because Adames then singled in Yelich [VIDEO].

That play at second base was quite important. Adames was called out trying to advance, and it was ruled “call stands” on review. If he’s not out, that’s the winning run on second base with two out. Instead, the game went to extras. (Also, that makes 11 blown saves for the Cubs this year, tied for the second-most in MLB.)

And that’s when the Cubs bats exploded. Luis Vázquez ran for Miguel Amaya as the placed runner, and Mike Tauchman singled him in [VIDEO].

That’s more than just a single. It went off the right arm of Brewers closer Trevor Megill, and none of the Brewers fielders could figure out what to do, they all just kind of stood around while Vázquez never stopped running — heads-up play by Vázquez.

Megill had to leave the game, replaced by Hoby Milner. Seiya Suzuki singled Tauchman to third, where he scored on this single by Bellinger [VIDEO].

Nick Madrigal bunted both runners up a base, and Happ then made it 5-1 with this two-run double [VIDEO].

And a sixth Cubs run crossed the plate on this RBI single by Busch [VIDEO].

A five-run lead going to the bottom of the 10th. Would it be enough? Well, as you know, the answer to that is “Yes,” but not until the Brewers made it interesting.

Luke Little entered the game. He got a ground out that moved the placed runner, Adames, to third. Then Little walked Joey Ortiz, who went to second on defensive indifference. Another ground out made it 6-2, with Ortiz taking third.

Counsell then brought in Tyson Miller. As luck would have it, the first hitter he faced was Owen Miller. The all-Miller matchup at the former Miller Park turned lucky for the Brewers, as O. Miller singled in a third Milwaukee run. You don’t suppose...

No. T. Miller finished things off with this strikeout [VIDEO].

Now let’s hope that offensive display in the 10th inning is the beginning of something good for the Cubs.

One more thing I’d like to point out:

The Cubs are 3-2 vs. the Brewers so far this year and have allowed them 16 total runs. That means all 16 have been allowed by Cubs relievers, in a total of 12⅔ innings. Of the 16, 13 have been earned, so that’s an ERA of 9.24. Cubs relievers have given Milwaukee 18 hits, including two home runs, walked six (1.421 WHIP) and struck out 18. That’s pretty much awful. With better relief work, the Cubs probably win the two games they’ve lost to Milwaukee this year. (As well as some others.)

Here are Counsell’s postgame comments [VIDEO].

The Cubs move back over .500 at 28-27 and trim a game off Milwaukee’s NL Central lead. They now trail by 3½ games. And they’ve got Shōta Imanaga going tonight against Milwaukee. He’ll face Brewers righthander Bryse Wilson. Game time is again 6:40 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.