CHICAGO -- The Cubs understood that the task in front of them on Tuesday night was a difficult one. Brewers flamethrower Jacob Misiorowski has been lighting up the radar gun to historic levels for a starting pitcher, making any opportunity to score a crucial moment for the lineup facing the righty.
“You’re just going to get less pitches you can handle,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said prior to Tuesday’s game. “When you get those pitches you can handle, the bar is raised in terms of, you’ve got to execute on those pitches.”
The North Siders had a few chances, but Misiorowski proved to be too much for the Cubs in a 5-2 loss at Wrigley Field. Right-hander Ben Brown turned in a decent performance opposite the Brewers’ budding ace, but Chicago’s lineup was not able to break through at all until after Misiorowski’s exit.
With the loss, the Cubs (29-20) slipped to a half-game back of the Brewers (28-18) for first place in the National League Central, marking Chicago’s first time out of the top spot since April 30. This is also the first time since April 10-11 that the Cubs have lost back-to-back games at home.
“All the games we play seem like they're really close,” Brown said of the rivalry with Milwaukee. “I recall just the battles the last couple years -- even in the postseason, obviously -- but just the regular-season battles that seem a little bit like everybody’s a little more on edge. This is getting us better as a team.”
The best chance the Cubs had against Misiorowski came right out of the gates.
Nico Hoerner and Michael Busch -- who occupied the first two spots of Chicago’s lineup, respectively -- watched a combined 11 pitches before finally taking a swing. The result was a leadoff walk for Hoerner, followed by Busch sending a 100.2 mph heater from Misiorowski up the middle, where shortstop David Hamilton could not corral the grounder cleanly.
It was a two-on, none-out opportunity with the heart of the order looming for a Cubs team trying to snap out of a recent funk with runners in scoring position (.146 average across the last 10 games). Alex Bregman flew out to center and both Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki struck out, stranding both runners for the North Siders.
“Frustrating -- for me, especially,” Happ said. “I’ve been in that situation late and haven’t come through enough for the group. It’s not going to be like that all year. The tide’s going to turn. We’re going to get a bunch of base hits with runners in scoring position. That’s coming.”
Making his third start for the Cubs since moving out of the bullpen, Brown surrendered a run in the first inning when Brice Turang drew a one-out walk and scored via an RBI single by Garrett Mitchell. The Brewers added two more runs in the third off Brown, who had not allowed a run in eight innings in his last two outings combined.
Counsell was able to build Brown up to 82 pitches over his five innings -- after he logged 65 last time out and 46 in his starting debut -- and the righty was able to limit the damage. Brown scattered seven hits and issued two walks, but held the Brewers to a 3-for-12 showing with runners in scoring position.
“I was proud of Ben,” Counsell said. “They’ve got a lot of guys swinging it well and I thought Ben made some pretty good pitches -- even on some hits. But he got in some trouble and he made some big [pitches].”
After Misiorowski left the game, the Cubs rallied for two runs against lefty Aaron Ashby in the eighth, but that was as far as the late push went.
The Cubs saw typically high velocity from Misiorowski, who averaged 99.9 mph with his fastball on the night and topped out at 101.5 mph, per Statcast. That said, that was lower than his recent performances, considering the righty topped 103 mph a dozen times over his previous two starts for Milwaukee.
Still, the North Siders struggled to mount much of an attack in Misiorowski’s six innings.
In the fourth inning, Suzuki sent a two-strike pitch from Misiorowski into right field for a two-out single, ending the pitcher’s bid for a no-hit run at 13 batters. Moisés Ballesteros then flew out to center to end the threat. The Cubs then put the leadoff man aboard in the fifth and sixth -- only to have Misiorowski escape unscathed.
“He got locked in,” Counsell said. “You’re stuck in-between of trying to get in a count or attack him early, because he’s got strikeout stuff. He just pumps tons of strikes, and you’ve got to be aggressive. Sitting there hitting with two strikes, you’re going to be in trouble. He threw a lot of quality strikes.”