CHICAGO _ The berth-day party at Wrigley Field was postponed for at least a day Thursday after the Brewers spoiled the Cubs' plans to celebrate their first National League Central title since 2008 with a 5-4 victory.
The Cubs' magic number stayed at one, pending the outcome of the Cardinals late game at the Giants.
Should the Cardinals lose, the Cubs will celebrate after Friday afternoon's game against the Brewers, a team official said.
Cubs starter Mike Montgomery did all he could to keep the plans on track, allowing three runs (one earned), four hits a walk and striking out seven in six innings.
After the Brewers untied the score against Montgomery with three runs in the top of the fourth inning, the Cubs pitcher tied it at 3 with a seeing-eye single up the middle to score Jason Heyward in the bottom of the inning.
It was his first major-league hit and first RBI.
But the Brewers untied it again in the seventh when pinch-hitter Scotter Gennett hit a two-run double off reliever Jason Grimm for a 5-3 lead.
Heyward's second double of the game pulled the Cubs within one in the eighth.
The scoring began in the second, when Addison Russell's infield single preceded Jorge Soler's two-run home run.
What followed Soler's 12th home run was loudness from a crowded Wrigley Field, many of whom were barely saw the ball, which had an exit velocity of 114.1 miles per hour, according to statcast, making it the hardest hit long ball of the season for the Cubs.
But the lead was brief. Keon Broxton cut it in half with a leadoff home run off Montgomery in the fourth.
Russell's two-out throwing error extended the inning before Domingo Santana and Orlando Arcia hit back-to-back doubles, leading to two unearned runs and a 3-2 Brewers lead. Russell made another throwing error in the eighth.
