Credit: Quinn Harris-USA TODAY Sports
Mike Brosseau hit a pinch-hit, go-ahead solo home run in the seventh inning and Willy Adames and Rowdy Tellez also homered as the visiting Milwaukee Brewers defeated the Chicago Cubs 5-4 on Sunday afternoon to avoid a three-game sweep in the season-opening series.
Christian Yelich added two hits — including an RBI double — for the Brewers, who out-hit the Cubs 5-4. Five Milwaukee relievers limited Chicago to one hit over the final five innings.
Brad Boxberger (1-0) scattered a hit and a strikeout in the seventh to earn the win. Josh Hader struck out two in a perfect ninth to notch the save.
The Cubs showed resilience in taking a first-inning lead. After Rafael Ortega, who reached on a walk leading off the game, was caught stealing for the second out, a walk and single put two runners aboard for Seiya Suzuki.
A Japanese outfielder who signed a five-year, $85-million contract in the offseason, Suzuki launched his first major league home run, sending a Freddy Peralta pitch 412 feet into the left-field bleachers for a 3-0 Chicago lead.
With Peralta settling in, the Brewers got on the board in the third when Adames connected against Cubs right-hander Marcus Stroman, who took a no-decision in his team debut. A free agent who signed for three years and $71 million in the offseason, Stroman spaced one run and two hits in five innings with three walks and three strikeouts.
Milwaukee grabbed a 4-3 lead with a three-run, sixth-inning rally, but promptly surrendered the advantage in the bottom of the inning when Chicago’s Clint Frazier scored on a wild pitch. That set the stage for Brosseau, a native of nearby Munster, Ind., who homered on a 2-0 pitch from Daniel Norris with one out in the seventh.
Norris (0-1) took the loss, scattering one run and one hit in 1 1/3 innings while striking out two.
Peralta allowed three earned runs on three hits with six strikeouts and four walks over four innings as Milwaukee’s starter.
Cubs outfielder Ian Happ was held out of the lineup as a precaution, manager David Ross said. Happ was hit by a pitch on the left kneecap during Saturday’s win.
–Field Level Media