P.J. Higgins hit a go-ahead RBI double in the ninth inning as the visiting Chicago Cubs bested the Milwaukee Brewers 2-1 on Wednesday afternoon, winning for the second time in the just-completed three-game series.
Higgins’ game-winning hit came off Brewers All-Star closer Josh Hader (0-2), who walked Patrick Wisdom to start the ninth. Wisdom stole second with one out before Higgins came through in the clutch with two outs as Chicago won for the sixth time in its last eight games.
The Cubs’ Rafael Ortega tied the game an inning earlier, bringing home Christopher Morel on a single to right. Morel reached base when he tripled with one out, poking a fly ball to right-center field that was just inches away from being a home run.
Chicago’s Mychal Givens (5-0) provided one inning of relief to earn the win before David Robertson notched his 12th save with a perfect ninth inning.
Milwaukee starter Corbin Burnes scattered just three hits across seven scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts for his sixth double-digit strikeout game of the season.
Burnes issued just one walk during his fifth consecutive quality start. It also was his 18th career game with at least 10 strikeouts to tie a Brewers franchise record set by Yovani Gallardo.
The Brewers’ Keston Hiura broke a scoreless tie in the fifth, blasting a 440-foot solo shot to left-center field, his eighth.
Cubs starter Adrian Sampson gave up one run on four hits over 5 2/3 innings. He did not surrender a walk and struck out five.
Sampson retired the first nine batters he faced before Milwaukee’s Christian Yelich led off the bottom of the fourth with a single.
Chicago threatened to score in the fifth when Alfonso Rivas put himself in scoring position with a one-out double. Higgins then struck a ball to deep left field, but Hiura made an over-the-shoulder catch up against the wall to keep the Cubs scoreless.
The Cubs’ Andrelton Simmons doubled down the left-field line to lead off the sixth, but Chicago was once again unable to capitalize as Burnes set down Rafael Ortega, Nico Hoerner and Ian Happ to subdue the scoring threat.
–Field Level Media