Mike Brosseau hit a pinch-hit, go-ahead solo home run in the seventh inning and Willy Adames and Rowdy Tellez also homered as the visiting Milwaukee Brewers defeated the Chicago Cubs 5-4 on Sunday afternoon to avoid a three-game sweep in the season-opening series.
Christian Yelich added two hits — including an RBI double — for the Brewers, who out-hit the Cubs 5-4. Five Milwaukee relievers limited Chicago to one hit over the final five innings.
Brad Boxberger (1-0) scattered a hit and a strikeout in the seventh to earn the win. Josh Hader struck out two in a perfect ninth to notch the save.
The Cubs showed early dominance though by taking a first-inning lead, no doubt giving fans hope that the series sweep would materialize.
Rafael Ortega reached on a walk to lead off the game but was caught stealing for the second out. Another walk and a single then put two runners aboard for Seiya Suzuki.
The rookie Suzuki hit the first home run of his MLB career — a three-run blast that traveled 412 feet and landed deep in the left field bleachers.
The Japanese outfielder signed a five-year contract worth $85 million back in March. He went 1-for-3 in his third regular season game.
Peralta settled in after the first inning theatrics, allowing three earned runs on three hits with six strikeouts and four walks over four innings.
The Brewers offense got on the board in the third when Adames connected against Cubs right-hander Marcus Stroman, who took a no-decision in his Chicago debut. A free agent who signed for three years and $71 million in the offseason, Stroman spaced one run and two hits in five innings, with three walks and three strikeouts.
Milwaukee grabbed a 4-3 lead with a three-run rally in the sixth inning, but promptly surrendered the advantage in the bottom of the inning when Chicago’s Clint Frazier scored on a wild pitch. That set the stage for Brosseau, a native of nearby Munster, Indiana, who homered on a 2-0 pitch from Daniel Norris with one out in the seventh.
Norris (0-1) took the loss, allowing one run and one hit in 1 1/3 innings while striking out two.
Cubs outfielder Ian Happ was held out of the lineup as a precaution, manager David Ross said. Happ was hit by a pitch on the left kneecap during Saturday’s win.
Over in the American League, the Houston Astros won the last game of a four-game series against the Los Angeles Angels, wining 4-1 and taking the series 3-1.
In the bottom of the third inning Shohei Ohtani hit a 119.1 mph double that would have easily drove in the speedy Tyler Wade had the rocket to right field not bounced into the seats for a ground-rule double.
The failure to score encapsulated a disappointing series for the Angels, who will look to get back in the win column against the Miami Marlins on Monday.
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Source : Baseball – The Japan Times
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