Game One Hundred Seventeen – Cubs 4, Brewers 0
WP – Trevor Cahill (2-3) LP – Matt Garza (4-5) Save – Aroldis Chapman (25)
Trevor Cahill pitched five scoreless innings and drove in a run with a safety squeeze in the fourth inning. Mike Montgomery was sharp in his two-plus innings of work. The Cubs manufactured three runs and took game one of the day-night doubleheader by blanking the Brewers on Tuesday afternoon.
The Cubs pitching staff combined on its 11th shutout of the season.
Trevor Cahill really stepped up Tuesday and not only gave Joe Maddon five shutout innings but he was excellent in the field and drove in a run. Cahill threw strikes Tuesday and worked well with Miguel Montero. Cahill allowed just two hits and five total baserunners in five innings of work. Cahill walked two, hit a batter and struck out three on 83 pitches, 50 for strikes.
Trevor Cahill picked off Jonathan Villar from first base in the first inning after he started the game with a single to center. The Brewers actually made two outs on the bases in each of the first two innings. Miguel Montero threw out Kirk Nieuwenhuis trying to swipe second to end the second inning.
Trevor Cahill (0-for-1 with a sac bunt and RBI) executed the safety squeeze in the fourth inning with a perfectly placed bunt up the first baseline that allowed Chris Coghlan to score.
Mike Montgomery replaced Cahill in the sixth. Montgomery picked up where Cahill left off. Montgomery threw strikes (32 pitches, 22 strikes) in his two-plus scoreless innings and allowed just one hit and one walk while striking out three.
Hector Rondon was effective in the eighth. Joe Smith walked two of the three batters he faced in the ninth with the Cubs up by four runs. Maddon was forced to use Aroldis Chapman in the ninth with two on, one out and the Cubs leading 4-0. Chapman made 12 pitches and recorded two outs for the save.
The Cubs offense did just enough Tuesday afternoon. The Cubs scored four runs on six hits with two of the runs scoring on sac flies by Addison Russell (0-for-2 with a HBP and a sac fly RBI) and Chris Coghlan (1-for-3 with a run scored and a sac fly RBI). The Cubs were 1-for-9 with RISP and left seven men on base.
Dexter Fowler (1-for-2 with two walks and a run scored), Kris Bryant (1-for-4 with a run scored), Anthony Rizzo (2-for-4) and Ben Zobrist (0-for-2 with two walks and a run scored) were in the middle of the run scoring innings.
The Cubs took an early lead and made Matt Garza throw 28 pitches in the first inning. Dexter Fowler led off with a single to right (3-2 pitch). Kris Bryant smoked a liner toward third. Jonathan Villar knocked the ball down, picked it up and forced Fowler at second base. Anthony Rizzo singled to center and Ben Zobrist walked to load the bases with one down.
Addison Russell did his job and lifted a 0-2 pitch to left. Kirk Nieuwenhuis made the catch. Bryant tagged and scored from third, 1-0 Cubs. Coghlan rapped out to short to end the inning.
The Cubs added a run in the third. Dexter Fowler walked and went to second on a one-out single to left from Rizzo (1-2 pitch). Zobrist grounded into a 4-6 fielder’s choice. Russell stepped in with runners on the corners and two down.
Matt Garza uncorked a wild pitch on the first offering to Russell. Fowler scampered in and scored, 2-0 Cubs. Zobrist took advantage of Garza’s throwing issues and took second. Russell popped out to third to end the inning.
After three complete, the Cubs had a 2-0 lead.
Chris Coghlan started the fourth with a double down the third baseline. Heyward flied out to shallow right. Coghlan could not advance. Miguel Montero rolled Garza’s first pitch toward the hole at short. Orlando Arcia was in the shift and got to ball. Arcia could not field it cleanly. Coghlan moved up to third after Arcia’s bobble. The Cubs had runners on the corners with one out and Cahill due up.
Trevor Cahill looked at three out of the zone. Cahill got the bunt down on a 3-2 pitch from the shaky Garza. Carter fielded the ball near the line and shoveled to Pina at the plate. Coghlan scored on the safety squeeze, 3-0 Cubs. Cahill reached first. Fowler walked and loaded the bases with one out.
Kris Bryant popped a 2-0 pitch straight up. Brewers’ catcher Manny Pina caught the ball near the mound for the second out. Anthony Rizzo grounded out to first to end the inning.
The Cubs led 3-0 after four innings but were 1-for-7 with RISP and left six men on base.
Mike Montgomery and Hector Rondon kept the Brewers off the board in relief of Cahill. And the game went to the bottom of the eighth with the Cubs leading 3-0.
Damien Magnifico made his Major League debut for the Brewers. Magnifico has big arm. On Tuesday in his first big league game, he could not control his high-90s heat.
Zobrist walked to start the eighth. Russell was hit by a pitch and a wild pitch on the first offering to Coghlan put runners on second and third with no outs.
Chris Coghlan pulled a 3-1 pitch to medium-depth right center. Hernan Perez made a good throw to the plate. Zobrist slid in just ahead of the tag. The umps took an extra look. The call on the field was upheld and the Cubs led 4-0. Heyward flied out to right and Montero flied out to deep right to end the game.
The Cubs led 4-0 after eight. And Joe Smith made his way to the mound.
Joe Smith walked Chris Carter. Perez smoked a liner toward the hole. Bryant made a diving stop and forced Carter at second base. Smith walked Nieuwenhuis and forced Maddon to bring in Aroldis Chapman. The Brewers pulled off a double steal on a 1-1 pitch to Broxton. Chapman struck out Keon Broxton swinging for the second out. Manny Pina popped up a 3-2 offering (seventh pitch of at bat) that Contreras popped out from behind the plate and made a sliding catch on in foul ground up the first baseline to end the game.
With the game one win, the Cubs improved to 74-43 on the season.
Jason Hammel takes on Chase Anderson in game two (7:05pm CDT) of the day-night doubleheader with the Brewers.