CHICAGO — Cody Bellinger drove within the tiebreaking run with a ricochet infield single within the eighth inning and the Chicago Cubs beat Milwaukee 3-2 on Wednesday to tug inside three video games of the first-place Brewers within the NL Central.

Bellinger’s sharply hit ball up the center glanced off the best ankle of reliever Joel Payamps and to 3rd baseman Andruw Monasterio. Bellinger beat out Monasterio’s throw, permitting Mike Tauchman to attain from third. It was Chicago‘s third and last hit of the sport.

“I saw it kind of bounce toward third base and I just tried to beat the throw,” mentioned Bellinger. “I didn’t know if there would be a play or not, so I just kind of put my head down and ran as fast I could.”

After dropping the primary sport of the collection Monday, the Cubs got here again to take the subsequent two with stable pitching and protection. At 71-62, Chicago is a season-high 9 video games above .500.

Bellinger, with 18 RBIs in his final 12 video games and a serious league-leading 54 since July, has helped lead Chicago‘s climb again into the playoff image.

The Cubs are squarely within the wild card combine. As for the NL Central title?

PHOTOS: Cody Bellinger's ricochet infield single sparks Cubs over Brewers 3-2

“Obviously we believe the division is reachable,” Bellinger mentioned. “We got a whole month left though and some really good teams, so we’ve just got to continue playing our game.”

Chicago had ended Milwaukee’s nine-game profitable streak Tuesday with a 1-0 win behind six stable innings from All-Star left-hander Justin Steele, adopted by three innings of one-hit reduction.

“We pitched, made plays when we had to and got a couple of key hits,” supervisor David Ross mentioned.

Adbert Alzolay (2-4) received the ultimate 4 outs for the win, regardless of hitting Mark Canha with bases loaded within the eighth to drive within the tying run. Payamps (4-4) took the loss.

Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks pitched six crisp innings, permitting solely an unearned run on 4 hits whereas putting out six and strolling two.

Milwaukee’s Brandon Woodruff settled in after Chicago jumped forward 2-0. The right-hander allowed two runs on two hits, struck out eight and walked one in six innings in a second straight robust outing.

The Brewers tied it 2-2 with two outs within the eighth, making the most of a uncommon Cubs bullpen meltdown. With Chicago forward 2-1, Sal Frelick singled off Mark Leiter Jr., Chicago’s second reliever. Leiter walked the subsequent two hitters to load the bases.

Alzolay entered and hit Canha along with his second pitch. But the Brewers couldn’t construct on it.

“The margins are small throughout the baseball season,” Milwaukee supervisor Craig Counsell mentioned. “There’s little stuff that happened, especially in the last five outs of the game certainly, that went their way, but that’s the way it goes.”

GOOD D

The Cubs protection, together with by athletic second baseman Nico Hoerner, has been a key to their rise.

Hoerner made some nifty performs on Wednesday. He went to his proper to area Carlos Santana’s grounder up the center within the fifth with Chicago forward 2-1. Hoerner couldn’t make a throw to get Santana at first, however he prevented William Contreras from scoring from second.

“Those are winning plays that aren’t going to show up in a box score,” Ross mentioned.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Brewers: 1B Carlos Santana (proper ankle) began after lacking two video games.

Cubs: RHP Marcus Stroman (rib cartilage fracture) threw lengthy toss earlier than Friday’s sport. There’s no timetable for the All-Star’s return. … RHP Brad Boxberger (proper forearm pressure) is slated to make one other rehab look with Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday. … RHP Nick Burdi (nerve irritation) is predicted to renew throwing on Friday.

UP NEXT

Brewers: RHP Freddy Peralta (11-8, 3.95 ERA) pitches at Philadelphia on Friday night time. The Phillies had not but named a starter.

Cubs: LHP Jordan Wicks (1-0, 1.80) faces Reds RHP Graham Ashcraft (7-8, 4.73) on Friday in Cincinnati.

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