Ian Happ hits 2-run home run in 8th, Cubs beat Brewers 5-3

MILWAUKEE– Ian Happ hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning and the Chicago Cubs defeated Milwaukee 5-3 on Saturday, ending the Brewers’ five-game winning streak.

After the game, 11 people were injured at the stadium due to an escalator malfunctioning d. The Brewers said six people were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries and five others were treated at the stadium.

Tyler Barnes, the Brewers’ senior vice president of communications and affiliate operations, said the malfunction resulted “in an increase in descent velocity.”

In the eighth, Joel Payamps (1-4) came in and walked Seiya Suzuki to open the inning, Happ then sent a 1-0 pitch 394 feet to right center for his 11th home run of the season.

It was the second game-clinching home run in three games for Happ, whose two-run shot in the 10th gave the Cubs a 5-3 victory in San Francisco on Thursday.

“You’re facing back-end weapons in these situations,” Happ said. “But trying to have the same process, believe in yourself and have a lot of positivity going into these situations.”

Payamps also walked the next two batters after Happ before being lifted.

“You can’t hang out with people,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “Whatever it is, you can’t hang out with people. You’re in the major leagues and you’re pitching at this point in the game, walks are not a possibility. If you look at our pitching staff, you’ll see that a lot of our success has come from not giving up free bases. A home run is a home run. Hap is a good hitter.

Luke Little (3-1) pitched a scoreless seventh for the win, and Porter Hodge followed with a scoreless inning. Héctor Neris allowed a hit and walk in the ninth, then struck out the final two batters for his 11th save in 15 opportunities and 100th career save.

“Hector made pitches when it mattered at the end,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “He had to make some pitches, and they had some traffic, and they had some close pitches, and some checked strikes, not called, but he made pitches.”

Chicago took a 3-2 lead in the fourth when Happ walked, advanced on a single and double play and scored on Pete Crow-Armstrong’s single to right.

The Brewers responded in the bottom half when Jackson Chourio doubled to lead off and came around on an RBI fielder’s pick single.

The Cubs loaded the bases in the fifth with two singles and a hit batter, but starter Tobias Myers hit Christopher Morel on an inning-ending groundout.

In the seventh, Milwaukee’s Andrew Monasterio was caught at third on Brice Turang’s attempted steal of second, and was tagged out at home on a groundout to end the inning.

Milwaukee erased a 2-0 deficit with two runs in the third, aided by several defensive lapses. Sal Frelick singled to open and steal second. Frelick was caught at second on Monasterio’s recovery, but the Cubs botched it and sent Frelick to third and Monasterio to second.

Pitcher Justin Steele was unable to control Brice Turang’s hit, allowing Frelick to score. William Contreras then launched an RBI single into shallow center just beyond the reach of three fielders.

Two pitches in, the Cubs were up 2-0. Nico Hoerner scored on the first pitch and Michael Busch followed with his tenth home run, a 413-foot shot to center.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Brewers: LHP Jared Koenig was placed on the 15-day IL because of left forearm tightness. He will undergo an MRI on Monday. “There’s more to it than that because today it kind of moved more toward the elbow…it’s a scary thing,” coach Pat Murphy said Saturday. Koenig faced four batters in the Brewers’ 4-2 victory on Friday, relieving himself by leaving the final out with the bases loaded in the seventh, then striking out the side in the eighth. … 3B Joey Ortiz, originally back in the lineup after sitting out Friday, was scratched with neck soreness. Ortiz ran in the ninth inning.

STEELE STILL WITHOUT A VICTORY

Steele (0-3, 3.20 ERA) allowed three runs in six innings, striking out five and walking none, but remains winless in 12 starts. He is 0-1 with a 2.13 ERA in six starts in June. “Wins have become a difficult statistic to measure,” Counsell said. “Justin Steele is throwing, like I said before the game, everything he did last year. He’s been really, really good.” Steele was 16-5 with a 3.06 ERA last season.

BREWERS MOVEMENT

LHP Rob Zastrzyny was selected from Triple-A Nashville to replace Koenig. OF Chris Roller was assigned to the mission.

NEXT

Right-hander Kyle Hendricks (1-5, 6.87) was scheduled to start for the Cubs in Sunday’s series finale against RHP Freddy Peralta (5-4, 4.03).

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