In a matchup dripping with Interstate 94 rivalry tension, the Milwaukee Brewers wasted no time asserting dominance over the Chicago Cubs, erupting for nine runs in the first two innings en route to a 9-3 thrashing in Game 1 of the National League Division Series at American Family Field. The Brewers, riding a wave of offensive fireworks, now hold a 1-0 series lead, putting the Cubs in an early hole as the best-of-five set shifts to Game 2 on Sunday.
The evening started promisingly for Chicago, fresh off a three-game Wild Card Series sweep of the San Diego Padres. First baseman Michael Busch crushed a leadoff home run off Brewers starter Freddy Peralta on the third pitch of the game, silencing the sellout crowd of 41,000 and giving the Cubs a 1-0 advantage – the first such postseason blast by a Cubs leadoff hitter since Dexter Fowler’s iconic shot in Game 7 of the 2016 World Series. But that fleeting joy evaporated faster than morning dew on Lake Michigan.
Cubs starter Matthew Boyd, making his postseason debut on three days’ rest after a solid Wild Card outing, faced immediate peril. The Brewers’ first three batters – rookie sensation Jackson Chourio, second baseman Brice Turang, and catcher William Contreras – tattooed consecutive doubles on three straight pitches, flipping the score to 2-1 in the blink of an eye. Designated hitter Christian Yelich grounded out for the first out, but first baseman Andrew Vaughn walked to load the bases… no, wait, runners on first and third after Yelich’s out.
Enter the turning point: Right fielder Sal Frelick dribbled a slow grounder to second baseman Nico Hoerner, who botched the play with a fielding error, allowing Contreras to scamper home from third and extending the inning. What could have been a bases-empty, two-out double-play ball instead kept the rally alive, turning a one-run game into a potential rout. Outfielder Blake Perkins followed with an RBI single, chasing Boyd after just two-thirds of an inning and four runs allowed. Reliever Michael Soroka entered to face third baseman Caleb Durbin, who struck out, but the damage mounted as Joey Ortiz walked to reload the bases. Chourio then delivered a clutch RBI single, capping a six-run frame that left the Cubs shell-shocked at 6-1.
Boyd’s abbreviated start was a stark contrast to his 4.1 innings of one-run ball in the Wild Card, where he’d thrown just 58 pitches. Here, the Brewers swung at 92% of strikes in the zone and connected on every one, underscoring a nightmare opening act for the lefty.
If the first inning was a gut punch, the second was a haymaker. Soroka, charged with immediate damage control, loaded the bases with no outs via a walk and hits before Durbin laced a bloop single to drive in two more, making it 8-1. Right-hander Aaron Civale entered with the sacks full and two outs, only to watch Chourio beat out an infield single on a throw by third baseman Matt Shaw, plating the ninth run before Turang struck out to mercifully end the frame.
Incredibly, Milwaukee had tallied nine runs before recording their sixth out of the game – a historic feat, as the Brewers became the first postseason team to score that many so early. Third baseman Joey Ortiz, batting ninth, had already drawn two walks by this point, while the Cubs’ No. 9 hitter Shaw hadn’t even come to the plate yet. Chourio’s three hits and three RBIs in the opening frames marked another milestone: the first player in MLB postseason history to notch that many knocks in the first two innings.
Tragedy struck for Milwaukee moments later, though, as Chourio tweaked his hamstring on that infield single – the same leg that sidelined him in July. He exited the game, drawing concern from manager Pat Murphy, who called the moment “scary” in his postgame remarks. Despite the injury cloud, the Brewers’ early barrage set an insurmountable tone.
With the game effectively over by the third inning, the focus shifted to bullpen management and pride. Peralta settled in masterfully, surrendering just four hits and two earned runs over 5â…” innings while fanning nine Cubs – including a standing ovation exit after his final strikeout. The right-hander’s slider and fastball combo neutralized Chicago’s lineup, limiting them to three solo homers and precious little else.
The Cubs clawed back cosmetically in the late going. Left fielder Ian Happ launched a solo shot to center in the sixth with two outs, a 420-foot screamer that trimmed the deficit to 9-2 and briefly reignited the Wrigley faithful watching from afar. Hoerner atoned for his earlier miscue with a leadoff solo homer in the eighth off reliever Jared Koenig, his second career postseason dinger, making it 9-3. But that was all she wrote, as the Cubs stranded runners and went down quietly in the ninth.
On the pitching side, Civale’s 4â…“ scoreless innings of relief – allowing just one hit after inheriting the loaded bases – marked the longest such outing by a Cubs hurler in a playoff game in 90 years, dating to Fabian Kowalik in the 1935 World Series. Rookie Ben Brown followed with two clean frames, striking out three in preserving what was left of the bullpen.
For the Brewers, this was a statement win – no signs of rust from their five-day layoff after clinching the NL Central, and a reminder of their NL-leading 92 regular-season wins. The early explosion echoed their regular-season dominance over the Cubs, winning 10 of 19 meetings. But Chourio’s injury looms large; his absence could crimp Milwaukee’s speed and power in a series where every at-bat counts.
Chicago, meanwhile, must shake off the cobwebs during Saturday’s off day. Manager Craig Counsell – facing his former club for the first time in the playoffs – defended the decision to stick with Boyd on short rest, noting his quick recovery potential. “Probably since Matthew got to the dugout in Game 1 [of the Wild Card], he was thinking about pitching this game,” Counsell said. The defensive lapse by Hoerner, typically a glove-first wizard, stung hardest; the Cubs’ “calling card” infield saved 28 runs during the regular season but faltered when it mattered most.
This marks the Cubs’ 127th postseason game since 1901 and their 12th straight playoff contest with three or fewer runs scored – a dubious streak underscoring their offensive challenges. Yet, with aces like Justin Steele looming for Game 2, hope springs eternal on the North Side. The Cubs won four of six against Milwaukee down the stretch; if they can bottle that magic, this series could still go the distance.
Game 2: Cubs at Brewers, Sunday, 5:08 p.m. ET on FS1. Buckle up – the I-94 Series is just getting started.
