CHICAGO _ Perhaps David Ross forgot to knock on wood.
Asked before Friday night's game about everything falling in his team's favor _ a 13-3 record, no COVID-19 positive tests and three bonus games at Wrigley Field _ the Chicago Cubs manager allowed: "You can look at it like that if you want."
Less than an hour later, starter Tyler Chatwood got scratched because of mid-back tightness.
And then in the sixth inning, Christian Yelich hammered Alec Mills' hanging change-up for a three-run blast into the empty bleachers in right.
The Milwaukee Brewers won, 4-3, as the Cubs fell to 13-4, losing for just the second time in August.
The Cubs got all their runs in the fifth. After Jason Heyward and David Bote lined singles, Jason Kipnis endured a nine-pitch at-bat that ended in an RBI single. Nico Hoerner drew a walk and Ian Happ walked after falling down 0-2 to load the bases for Anthony Rizzo, who lined a soft single to right.
The Cubs led 3-1.
The Brewers struck back in the sixth. With a man on first, Mills plunked Keston Hiura. Yelich then hit the homer to give Milwaukee a lead it would not surrender.
The Cubs loaded the bases in the eighth against Josh Hader, but pinch-hitter Josh Phegley whiffed on high heat.
Rizzo reached in the ninth with a walk off Hader, but first base was as far as he got. Javier Baez got caught looking to end the game.
An obvious bright spot: Craig Kimbrel pitched for the first time since Aug. 6 and it did not go horribly. Kimbrel entered the game in the ninth with a 23.63 ERA in four appearances, but he retired three of the four batters he faced.
He blew Avisail Garcia away with a 98-mph heater but did walk Justin Smoak, stranding him at first.
