September swoon continues as Cubs fall in 10 to Brewers
The 2023 Chicago Cubs are ready to hit the golf course or watch postseason baseball. It’s up to them to decide their fates in the next two days.
The Cubs moved another step closer to sitting on their living room couches watching the postseason Friday night after losing in 10 innings to the rival Milwuakee Brewers, 4-3, at American Family Field.
The loss left the North Siders at 82-78, a game and a half behind the hot Miami Marlins for the third and final wild card spot, meaning the magic number is at one for the Marlins to take that spot the Cubs were keeping warm for them throughout most of September.
The Marlins, who beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4-3, on Friday, still have a game to finish at Citi Field in New York against the Mets if they need to, but they own the tiebreaker over the Cubs by winning the regular-season series. The only way the Marlins would have to make that flight to New York on Monday is if they are trailing the Cubs in wins by one going to that game, which was 2-1 in the Marlins’ favor in the ninth inning.
The Cubs put themselves in this predicament by going 11-16 this month. The further dug their own grave in Friday’s loss after climbing back from a 3-0 deficit with two runs in the eighth, then the tying run in the ninth when Ian Happ drove the first pitch of the inning from Caleb Boushley over the right-center field fence.
In the bottom of the 10th, though, Carlos Santana lined a 1-1 pitch from losing hurler Jose Cuas (3-2) just inside the left-field line to chase home Blake Perkins, who started the inning on second base.
Boushley ended up getting the win, his first Major League victory.
Christopher Morel had two hits for the Cubs, who fell behind 3-0 in the fifth inning with Santana delivering the big blow, a two-run triple, his first of the year just inside the right-field line.
After showing no signs of life, the Cubs scored twice in the second, starting with Jeimer Candelario’s 22nd home run of the season. Yan Gomes drove in the other run of the eighth when his groundout to shortstop Willy Adames scored Morel.
The Cubs try to save their sinking postseason hopes another day by sending lefty Jordan Wicks (4-1) to the mound against Brewers starter Eric Lauer (4-5).
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