The Milwaukee Brewers delivered a postseason power display on Monday night, hammering the Chicago Cubs 7-3 in Game 2 of the National League Division Series to grab a commanding 2-0 series advantage. With the win at American Family Field, Milwaukee pushes the best-of-five set back to Wrigley Field for Game 3 on Wednesday, where the Cubs face elimination. Historically, teams leading 2-0 in such series have advanced 80 of 90 times, often in sweeps.
The game exploded early, setting a tone of high drama and long balls. Chicago struck first in the top of the opening inning, as Seiya Suzuki crushed a 440-foot three-run homer to left-center off Brewers opener Aaron Ashby, vaulting the Cubs to a 3-0 lead. Ashby, a bullpen specialist in 42 of his 43 regular-season outings, faltered quickly in his unconventional starter role.
But Milwaukee answered with fury in the bottom half. After two-out singles from William Contreras and Christian Yelich, Andrew Vaughn launched a three-run shot over the left-field wall, knotting the score at 3-3. It marked the first three-run homer in Brewers playoff history—and the first postseason game where both teams connected for three-run blasts in the first frame.
The Brewers seized control in the third, when Contreras belted a 411-foot solo homer to left with two outs, putting Milwaukee ahead 4-3. The damage mounted in the fourth as Jackson Chourio, back in the leadoff spot after exiting Game 1 early with hamstring tightness, smoked a 419-foot three-run homer off Cubs reliever Daniel Palencia. Chourio’s blast, Vaughn’s earlier dinger, and Contreras’ solo shot accounted for all seven runs, with Vaughn and Chourio etching their names as the first pair to hit three-run homers in franchise postseason lore.
Chicago’s offense, sparked by Suzuki’s early fireworks, went quiet thereafter, mustering just one hit over Milwaukee’s masterful bullpen stint. Rookie Jacob Misiorowski stole the show in relief, firing three scoreless innings with heat—31 of his 57 pitches clocked 100 mph or better, topping out at 104.3 mph. The Brewers’ arms (Nick Mears, Misiorowski, Chad Patrick, Jared Koenig, Trevor Megill, and Abner Uribe) combined for 7 1/3 hitless frames after Ashby’s rough start, slamming the door on any Cubs comeback.
Cubs starter Shota Imanaga, who has surrendered multiple homers in six of his last eight starts, allowed four runs across three innings, including the two early bombs that flipped the script. Chicago manager Craig Counsell lamented the long balls postgame: “You’re not going to win playoff games giving up two three-run homers. That was just too much to overcome.” He stressed the need for more baserunners to pressure Milwaukee’s staff in the coming games.
Brewers skipper Pat Murphy praised his squad’s grit: “We’ve just got a good collection of guys that are happy they’re in the big leagues… That hunger makes us look like we know what we’re doing.” Contreras echoed the sentiment on Vaughn’s pivotal homer: “It just brought the energy back into the dugout… He’s been able to put big swings on balls and continue producing for us.”
With a sweep in sight, Milwaukee eyes its first postseason series win since 2018. The Cubs, meanwhile, must channel Wrigley magic to avoid an early October exit.
