Brewers Hit 2-Run Single In 8th; Cubs Lose, Fall Out Of First Place
MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Ben Gamel hit a go-ahead, two-run single in the eighth inning, and the Milwaukee Brewers rallied to beat Chicago 3-2 Friday night and knock the Cubs out of first place.
Gio Gonzalez didn't allow a hit to the Cubs until the sixth, when Alberto Almora Jr. reached on an infield single and David Bote followed with his 10th home run.
Christian Yelich started Milwaukee's comeback in the seventh when he greeted Brandon Kintzler (2-1) with an RBI single.
Kintzler walked Keston Hiura with one out in the eighth and hit Eric Thames with a pitch. Pedro Strop hit pinch-hitter Ryan Braun and, one out later, Gamel lined a single to right-center.
Adrian Hauser (4-4) pitched 1 2/3 hitless innings. Josh Hader worked around Kris Bryant's one-out single in the ninth, striking out two for his 23rd save in 25 chances.
The Cubs, who had held at least a share of the NL Central lead since after play on July 4, dropped one game behind St. Louis. Milwaukee closed within a game of the Cubs.
team had four hits but the game took 3 hours, 9 minutes.
Gonzalez, making his second start since six weeks on the injured list with left arm fatigue, left with left shoulder tightness after allowing three hits in 6 1/3 innings with nine strikeouts and one walk.
Milwaukee All-Star right-hander Brandon Woodruff went on the injured list Monday with a strained left oblique and right-hander Jhoulys Chacin was placed on the IL Thursday with a strained lat.
Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks allowed just two singles over five scoreless innings.
HE'S BACK
Cubs: LF Ian Happ was recalled from Triple-A Iowa and went 0 for 3 with a strikeout. Happ, who had 39 homers over two seasons with the Cubs, was hitting .242 with 16 homers and 53 RBI at Iowa.
Brewers: 3B Travis Shaw was recalled from Triple-A San Antonio and went 0 for 3, stranding four runner.
ARRIVING SOON
Chicago acquired LHP Derek Holland from San Francisco for a player to be named.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Cubs: RHP Steve Cishek was removed with two outs in the seventh after being struck in the back by a line-drive bouncer off the bat of Lorenzo Cain.
UP NEXT
Cubs: LHP Jon Lester (9-6, 3.87 ERA) is to make his 400th big league start Saturday. He is 6-2 with a 2.95 ERA in 11 home outings but 3-4 with a 5.09 ERA on the road.
Brewers: RHP Chase Anderson (5-2, 3.90 ERA) was 1-0 with a 2.77 ERA in five starts in July. Left-handers are hitting just .169 against him, but righties are hitting .293.
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