Left fielder Ian Happ threw out two runners at the plate in extra innings, and the Chicago Cubs pulled out a wild 7-6 win over the Milwaukee Brewers in 11 innings Tuesday after squandering a late lead for the second consecutive game.
Dansby Swanson homered and Miguel Amaya hit a two-run double to help the Cubs build a 6-2 cushion. But the Brewers scored twice in the eighth and twice more in the ninth to tie it.
In the bottom of the 10th, pinch-runner Andruw Monasterio was placed at second base as the automatic runner. He tried to score the winning run on Owen Miller's one-out single to left but was cut down at home by Happ on a call that stood following a replay review.
Miller was thrown out trying to advance to second, ending the inning.
Chicago went ahead in the 11th. Automatic runner Cody Bellinger moved to third with one out on a wild pitch by Clayton Andrews (0-1). After Amaya struck out, Nico Hoerner beat out an infield single to put the Cubs up by a run.
With one out in the bottom half, Miller tried to tag up from third and score the tying run on Brice Turang’s pop fly to left. He was thrown out at the plate by Happ to end the game, setting off a celebration as Cubs players poured out of the dugout after halting their three-game skid.
Kyle Hendricks gave Chicago a solid start and Daniel Palencia (1-0) got the win in his major league debut.
Hendricks gave up four hits and two runs - one earned - in six innings. He walked one and struck out five.
The loss dropped Milwaukee (46-40) a game behind first-place Cincinnati in the NL Central, after the Reds beat the Nationals 8-4 earlier in the day.
The Cubs placed INF Nick Madrigal on the 10-day injured list with a right hamstring strain and activated INF Patrick Wisdom from the 10-day IL. RHP Brad Boxberger was transferred to the 60-day IL.
All-Star lefty Justin Steele (9-2, 2.43 ERA) starts Wednesday for the Cubs against Adrian Houser (3-2, 3.88) in the third of a four-game set. Steele is 1-2 with a 2.23 ERA in 11 career games (10 starts) vs. Milwaukee. Houser is 1-2 with a 5.14 ERA in six career starts against Chicago.
