Chourio Sparks Brewers Rally Past Cubs 4-3

Jackson Chourio flipped Monday night at American Family Field. His two-run single sparked a three-run eighth, and his diving catch of Seiya Suzuki's fly for the final out sealed the Milwaukee Brewers' 4-3 win over the Chicago Cubs, per the Associated Press.

The Cubs fell eight games back of the MLB-leading Brewers in the NL Central after dropping the series opener. That is a tough deficit this late.

Eighth-inning breakthrough

Matthew Boyd had Milwaukee quiet through seven. The eighth opened with a Garrett Mitchell walk and a Joey Ortiz double on Boyd's 100th and final pitch. Chourio greeted reliever Ryan Zeferjahn with a grounder through a drawn-in infield into right, scoring both runners for a 3-2 lead.

Chourio stole second. Brice Turang walked. After a William Contreras strikeout, Jacob Webb walked Jake Bauers to load the bases, and Christian Yelich's sacrifice fly made it 4-2. Abner Uribe (5-2) retired the side in order in the eighth for the win.

Ninth-inning scare, diving finish

Trevor Megill almost coughed it up. Pedro Ramirez, who had homered in the fifth, sent a one-out drive that Luis Lara robbed with a leaping catch in right. Pete Crow-Armstrong then crushed a 400-foot shot to right-center for Megill's first homer allowed all season, cutting it to 4-3 and putting the tying run on every Cubs breath.

One more swing and the Central race feels different. Instead Chourio went horizontal and ended the night.

Chourio ended it with the dive in left. Megill earned his 27th save in 29 chances. Crow-Armstrong had also singled and scored in the seventh after a brutal prior stretch vs Milwaukee (4-for-39 with 18 strikeouts before those last two at-bats).

Boyd's seven shut-down innings made the eighth feel sudden. One walk, one double, and Chourio's grounder through the drawn-in infield flipped a pitcher's duel into a bullpen scramble. Chicago still had life until Lara's leap and Chourio's dive slammed the door.

Up next: Jacob Misiorowski (14-5, 1.87 ERA) for the Brewers against David Peterson (7-8, 5.39) for the Cubs on Tuesday night. Milwaukee keeps pushing the Central. Chicago keeps staring up eight games with two left in the series.

For Milwaukee fans, nights like this are the September argument: star kids finishing games with the bat and the glove. Chourio did the loud work and the quiet glove. That is why the Brewers sit where they sit in the Central.