CHICAGO _ Left-hander Jon Lester was pulled because of low back tightness with two out in the top of the sixth inning, and reliever Carl Edwards Jr. threw a wild pitch to score Mike Moustakas with the go-ahead run as the Cubs fell to the Brewers 3-2 in a National League Central showdown Monday night at Wrigley Field.
The loss cut the Cubs' lead to one game _ equaling their smallest lead since the morning of Aug. 6.
Lester received medical attention after not finishing his delivery smoothly on a third strike to Jonathan Schoop. Lester stayed in and allowed consecutive hits before he walked off with a trainer.
Edwards' first pitch sailed to the backstop, and he was late in covering home plate.
If Lester is unable to recover quickly, the Cubs may need a starter as soon as Saturday if they play the Nationals on Thursday, as currently scheduled despite the threat of Hurricane Florence striking the East Coast.
Any chance of a comeback virtually faded as Brewers left-handed reliever Josh Hader struck out all six batters faced, including Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Javier Baez in the eighth.
In the ninth, Willson Contreras drew a walk, and pinch-runner Terrance Gore stole second. But pinch-hitter Tommy La Stella struck out.
The Cubs tied the game in the bottom of the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Kris Bryant with the bases loaded.
Before his injury, Lester had allowed only one hit after the second. He loaded the bases with one out in the first and escaped with only one run allowed on a sacrifice fly by Schoop.
In the second, Lester allowed a leadoff double to Moustakas and an RBI single to Orlando Arcia.
