Griffin Floyd
The Chicago Cubs kept their season alive with a 6-0 home win over the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 4 of the National League Division Series on Thursday, Oct. 9, setting up a winner-takes-all Game 5.
Ian Happ, Kyle Tucker and Michael Busch hit home runs, the Cubs’ pitching staff allowed just three hits and needed just 117 pitches to complete the game, and Chicago is back from the brink of elimination after losing the first two games of the series in Milwaukee.
Here are the winners and losers from Game 4.
Winner: Ian Happ
Ian Happ set the tone for the Cubs with his first inning home run, taking the lead early in a must-win game via a three-run blast with two outs. The switch-hitting left fielder has struggled mightily this postseason, picking up just three hits and striking out 11 times in 26 at-bats, but he made the right play at the right time for his team.
Despite the six run performance, the Cubs left plenty of opportunities on the table in Game 4, going just 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position. One of those two hits was Happ’s home run. The veteran left fielder flew out to the warning track on three other trips to the plate, and could’ve cleared the fences again without a steady wind blowing in off Lake Michigan.
Winner: Chicago’s Pitching Staff
It’s impossible to pick just one winner from a pitching staff that allowed just three hits on the day and faced the minimum through the final three innings, working a double play to erase a leadoff walk in the eighth.
Starting pitcher Matthew Boyd went 4.2 innings, striking out six batters on 67 pitches but running into trouble in the fifth. Manager Craig Counsell gave him the hook with runners on second and third, bringing in reliever Daniel Palencia. Palencia forced a pop fly on his first pitch, immediately escaping the jam.
After covering five innings in a tight game the previous night, Chicago’s bullpen had a fairly easy go of it in Game 4, but they still kept the Brewers’ chances to an absolute minimum.
Loser: Brewers’ Offense
Much like Chicago’s pitching staff, it’s difficult to pick a standout from Milwaukee’s performance at the plate. Unfortunately for the Brewers, that’s not a good thing.
Milwaukee managed just three hits on the day, only one of which went for extra bases. The Brewers supplemented their offense with four walks, but an 0-for-4 performance with runners in scoring position gave them little hope of cutting into the Cubs’ lead. A runner reached third base on two separate occasions: once with two outs, negating the hope of a sacrifice play. On the second occasion, Yelich struck out swinging with one out, allowing the Cubs to escape via pop fly.
Loser: Freddy Peralta
Freddy Peralta allowed a three run moonshot to Ian Happ to begin the game and only managed to complete four innings, putting the onus on a bullpen that had to complete 7.1 innings the previous night. Peralta rebounded after Happ’s home run, striking out six batters, but he nearly ran into trouble again, putting two runners aboard in the second inning.
Although Peralta only faced 17 batters, the Cubs managed to drag out their plate appearances and drive his pitch count up, forcing him out of the game after 84 pitches with a third turn through the order looming.
