Brewers Beat First-Place Cubs to Move Within One Game of NL Central Lead

The Brewers took two of three to move closer to the first-place Cubs.

CHICAGO — Curtis Granderson homered, tripled and scored three runs, Lorenzo Cain added three hits and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Chicago Cubs 5-1 on Wednesday night to move within a game of the NL Central lead.

Granderson also got three hits and Mike Moustakas had a two-run single for Milwaukee, which took two of three from the first-place Cubs.

Josh Hader (6-1) struck out three in a scoreless eighth to get the win. Six Brewers pitchers combined to hold Chicago to six hits.

Kris Bryant had two hits and drove in the Cubs’ lone run.

Granderson appeared to begin the game with his 48th career leadoff homer, but it was ruled a triple following an umpire review. Two batters later, Cain singled to drive in Granderson for the game’s first run. Travis Shaw’s sacrifice fly in the third gave the Brewers a 2-0 lead.

Milwaukee starter Chase Anderson allowed just two hits in four innings before being lifted for a pinch-hitter in the fifth. Chicago then scratched across a run in the bottom of the fifth against relievers Jacob Barnes and Corey Knebel.

Pinch-hitter Tommy La Stella, batting for starter Kyle Hendricks (11-11), led off with an infield single against Barnes and advanced to second on a throwing error by shortstop Hernan Perez. Three batters later, with La Stella on third, Bryant doubled off a 98 mph fastball from Knebel to make it 2-1.

The Brewers broke it open with three runs in the ninth. Granderson led off with a homer against Steve Cishek to make it 3-1. Later in the inning, Moustakas singled through the left side with the bases loaded to make it 5-1.