Gary Sánchez hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning, breaking the tie and helping the Milwaukee Brewers win 6-4 against the Chicago Cubs on Thursday.
The Brewers, leading the NL Central, won three of four games against the Cubs in a series that marked Cubs manager Craig Counsell’s return to American Family Field. Counsell, the most successful manager in Brewers history, received a mixed reception from the crowd during the series.
The Cubs have struggled lately, losing seven of their last eight games and falling below a .500 win percentage for the first time since March.
Despite the Cubs’ efforts to tie the game with home runs, Sánchez’s homer off Tyson Miller secured the win for Milwaukee. Sánchez’s powerful shot over the center-field wall came at a crucial moment, giving the Brewers the lead.
Milwaukee missed an opportunity to score earlier in the eighth inning when pinch-hitter Owen Miller hit into a double play with runners on base.
Sánchez’s ability to hit clutch home runs was evident earlier in the season when he hit a game-winning homer in the eighth inning against Pittsburgh.
Pitcher Elvis Peguero closed out the game for the Brewers, earning his first save of the season. The game ended with a groundout by Patrick Wisdom, fielded by Brewers third baseman Joey Ortiz.
