MILWAUKEE _ Seemingly stuck in a nightmarish version of baseball Groundhog Day, the Milwaukee Brewers finally turned the table on the Chicago Cubs.
Travis Shaw averted a third consecutive 10-inning loss to the Cubs on Saturday afternoon at Miller Park, slugging a two-run homer off Chicago closer Wade Davis.
The Brewers tied the game in the ninth off Davis on Orlando Arcia's homer but the Cubs threatened to win again in 10 when they snapped that 2-2 deadlock.
When games like these go into extra innings, teams have to help themselves. But, for the second game in a row, the Brewers walked the leadoff hitter in the 10th, a recipe for disaster.
This time, it was Jeremy Jeffress walking Ian Happ, whose infield hit against him in the series opener paved the way for a Chicago victory. Jason Heyward bunted Happ to second, a maneuver that worked when Jon Jay followed with a ground single up the middle to make it 3-2.
The Brewers were trailing, 2-1, in the ninth when Arcia finally brought their fan base to life by leading off with a line-drive home run to left field. The shot came off Davis, who had been 32-for-32 in save opportunities this season.
Arcia's home run gave the Brewers their first run since the first inning of the game and no doubt shocked the large contingent of Cubs fans on hand. But it would be the only run of the inning, and once again the teams went to the 10th.
The Brewers took the field having absorbed consecutive, excruciating extra-inning losses to the Cubs, on top of a walk-off loss in Pittsburgh, for all intents and purposes ending their hopes of winning the NL Central. But they were only two games out of the second wild-card spot, leaving something to play for.
Game 3 of the series featured a match-up of Ivy Leaguers who rely on command more than velocity _ Brewers lefty Brent Suter (Harvard) and Cubs righty Kyle Hendricks (Dartmouth). And both pitchers had their way with the hitters, for the most part.
Suter, continuing to fill the rotation spot once held by Matt Garza, went 5 1/3 innings, allowing only six hits and one run, with no walks and two strikeouts. Hendricks, who threw a season-high 112 pitches, was equally tough, going six innings and surrendering eight hits and one run, with one walk and six strikeouts.
The Brewers drew first blood off Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks in the first inning. With one down, Neil Walker and Ryan Braun collected singles, setting the stage for Eric Thames' two-out, run-scoring hit to right.
The Cubs drew even in the second inning after Willson Contreras and Albert Almora Jr. singled with no outs. Suter retired the next two hitters but Ian Happ stroked a base hit to right and it was 1-1.
The pitchers took over at that point and it remained 1-1 until the eighth, when the Cubs pushed across the decisive run. Happ led off with an opposite-field double to left, and Jason Heyward drew a four-pitch walk from reliever Jacob Barnes.
After Anthony Swarzak replaced Barnes, Jay bunted the runners to second and third. Kris Bryant then delivered a sacrifice fly to center that gave the Cubs a 2-1 lead.
