First things first, to have a chance to turn the series around and force a Game 5, the Cubs needed to protect their home field. They did it on Wednesday, with a 4-3 victory in Game 3 that not only stopped the Brewers’ momentum but also created something for Chicago. Still, the question heading into Game 4 was: Could the Cubs continue that and put all the pressure back on Milwaukee in a winner-take-all Game 5?
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The answer, as it turned out, was a resounding yes, as the Cubs made a statement Thursday with a decisive 6-0 victory over Milwaukee in Game 4, tying the NLDS at 2-2.
“We had to fight to get to (Game 5), and I think the guys are excited to pack their bags,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said afterward. “There’s no doubt about it.”
One thing the Cubs have done consistently throughout this series, even when things weren’t going their way, is set the tone in the first inning. And that continued to be true in Game 4.
The Brewers looked to put Chicago away in this contest, turning to ace Freddy Peralta on short rest after he pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings in Game 1 on Saturday. But Milwaukee’s right-hander didn’t look the same in Game 4, and the Cubs quickly took advantage, putting two men on base in the first inning to set the table for Ian Happ.
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Happ historically had not fared well against Peralta, going just 2-for-38 in his career against him in the regular season. But despite Peralta’s dominance, things were on the Cubs’ side this time.
While the Wrigley Field crowd was feeding off the Cubs’ at-bats in the first inning, they were also having an impact on Peralta. As he threw the first, a chant slowly echoed around Wrigley.
“Freddy….Freddy…Freddy…”
And when the Cubs’ longest-tenured player got his shot, he didn’t miss it. Happ knocked down a 1-1 fastball over the plate and sent the Wrigley crowd into a frenzy. Happ’s home run marked the fourth consecutive game in which the Cubs homered in the first inning. In other words, they have done it in every game in this series.
“I’ve had a lot of at-bats against him. He’s had my number quite a bit,” Happ said after the game. “But I got it in Milwaukee with a fastball, so I knew I was going to swing, swing to start the at-bat, and it was probably going to be a lot softer. I was able to get a fastball in that at-bat.”
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Throughout this series, the Cubs had pressured the Brewers’ starting pitchers in the first inning. But in previous games, that diminished after the first one. Game 4 was different, as the Cubs kept the pressure on Milwaukee throughout the contest. Chicago’s offense forced Peralta to throw 84 pitches in four innings, and they put runners on base in six of their eight innings, scoring in four.
“Momentum in baseball happens based on what’s on the field, you know what I mean?” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “The Cubs earned it. They had their backs against the wall and they played very well these last two games. They pitched very well. They played very well. They played great defense. They hit in the clutch. They hit home runs.”
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After Happ’s home run, for the first time against Milwaukee, the Cubs were able to increase their lead and give their pitchers some protection. In the sixth, third baseman Matt Shaw hit an RBI single to make the score 4-0.
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Chicago then put an exclamation point on the victory with two big swings from Kyle Tucker and Michael Busch, who added solo home runs in the seventh and eighth innings. That made the game 6-0.
“I feel good,” Tucker said after his second straight multi-hit game. “I’m swinging at the pitches I want to swing at and leaving out some of the others. It’s not always going to go your way, but as long as you can get there and have a chance and get in good spots, at least you’re giving yourself a chance.”
While the Cubs dominated during Game 4, it was difficult to ignore the effect of their environment. Not just the Cubs but also the Brewers, who in Games 3 and 4 didn’t look like the same team as they did in Games 1 and 2. Whether it was the crowd mockingly chanting the name of a Milwaukee pitcher or the building shaking every time the Cubs’ offense did something, the Wrigley Field crowd was essentially a tenth player in Chicago’s field.
“We had the best fans in baseball and it was electric,” said starter Matthew Boyd, who pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings in the victory. “We’ve been feeding off of them since April, but tonight was another level and it was super special.”
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“The crowd was amazing tonight,” Counsell said. “I’ve never seen a baseball game like that. It was just amazing what they did tonight.”
Said Murphy: “I mean, it affected the game. This crowd affected the game the last two games. It affected the way we played, for sure… Those kinds of things emotionally can affect guys. They can start playing a little too hard. This game is a precision game, and the Cubs’ experience and what they’ve been through, they were certainly better in this environment.”
As the series returns to Milwaukee for a Game 5 that will determine who will face the Dodgers in the National League Championship Series, the pressure has shifted from the Cubs to the Brewers. Chicago took two players from Milwaukee in Games 1 and 2, pushing them to the brink of elimination.
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But the Cubs responded with two big blows of their own, making the most of their home stadium to even the series. And coming into a winner-take-all game, where anything can happen, the Cubs did exactly what they needed to do: give themselves a chance.
And now there’s a big question for both clubs: Who starts Game 5?
So far, both teams have kept things very tight-lipped, with neither team announcing their starter for Game 4 until the morning of the game. It’s fair to expect both teams to opt for a bullpen game on Saturday and have a quick release for each pitcher entering the game. Milwaukee will likely have to make some tougher decisions after starting Peralta on Thursday, which means they will be without their best pitcher in their must-win game.
Chicago will also have to decide if giving the ball to Shota Imanaga is the right decision or if they like their chances better with a bullpen game. Imanaga hasn’t looked great this postseason, and given his inability to keep the ball in the park, he could struggle in the building where he struggled mightily in Game 2.
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But regardless of who starts for the Cubs, they have given themselves a real chance to complete their comeback in the series. It all comes down to one game, a game they are very excited to play after how the series started.
“We gotta pack our bags, man,” Counsell said. “The only thing we wanted to do today was pack our bags.”