For four innings, this game was just an absurd pitcher ‘duel. Per Len on the broadcast, the game was the first in all baseball this year that began with both pitchers dismissing the game’s first nine fighters, and Alec Mills actually celebrated his perfect start through the 4th. He looked absolutely fantastic, although he got into trouble in the 6th for a three butcher, a quick hit, an HBP, and then he left one hanging over to Christian Yelich (a man he met twice earlier in the match beat).
The Cubs kicked Brandon Woodruff out of the game in the 5th, after placing three in the inning and loading the bases with one out. But Freddy Peralta came in and knocked out Javy Báez and Kyle Schwarber to end the damage there. And then the Cubs just couldn’t do anything about the Brewers’ bullpen. Whiff to whiff to whiff. Credit to the Brewers’ relievers to be sure, but the Cubs fighters looked absolutely confused.
The Cubs got a bit of a boil in the 8th when they loaded the bases against Josh Hader, but with Kris Bryant unable to get off the bench (as it turned out), the best option for bottlenecks was for Jason Kipnis Josh Phegley . It did not go well. Not sure Albert Almora would have been better, but Phegley stuck to a pitch on his face.
At least we had to see Craig Kimbrel get a significant inning (down by one, 9th inning) and look much better in the process. He was not yet what you want him to be, but the fastball was touching 98 mph and was more often lying better than it had been, and the curveball looked much sharper. Heck, one of his curveballs hit Justin Smoak in the foot, but it was so annoying with so much movement that he swung at it. Easily his best outing of the year, what I know is an empty bar.
Full box score.
