MILWAUKEE _ Cole Hamels turned to his side in disgust after plate umpire Eric Cooper called a ball on a 2-2 pitch to 2018 National League most valuable player Christian Yelich that Hamels thought had nicked the outside corner for a strike.
But the Cubs, trying to catch the Cardinals in the National League Central, realized they have no margin for error. That was evident on the next pitch.
Yelich launched for a three-run home run in the third inning, vaulting the Brewers to a 7-1 victory at Miller Park and snapping the Cubs' three-game winning streak.
Fortunately for the Cubs, the Cardinals lost to the Pirates 9-4, keeping their deficit at 2 { games with 22 games remaining.
Zach Davies and three relievers limited the Cubs to three hits after they scored 16 runs in their previous two games.
Ben Zobrist, who had reached safely in seven of his first nine plate appearances after returning from the restricted list, was 0 for 4 with two strikeouts. The red-hot Kyle Schwarber, batting second for the first time this season, went hitless in four at-bats.
Davies, facing the Cubs for the second time in a week, allowed one run in five innings, an opposite-field home run to right in the third from Nicholas Castellanos, his 24th of the season and his 13th since joining the Cubs on Aug. 1.
Hamels entered Friday's game with a 1.88 ERA in four starts against the Brewers this season. But he labored from the outset. A Cory Spangenberg squeeze bunt capped the Brewers' four-run third, and Yasmani Grandal's second home run in as many games and a Yelich single prompted Maddon to pull Hamels.
