MILWAUKEE -- Christian Yelich beat out a throw at first to narrowly avoid a double play that allowed the winning run to score in the ninth.
Game over, but the jubilant Yelich kept going -- and turned across the outfield -- before the rest of the happy Milwaukee Brewers finally caught up with him in short left.
Yelich's fielder's choice with the bases loaded in the ninth allowed Keon Broxton to score from third, and the Brewers opened an important three-game series with the Chicago Cubs with a 4-3 victory Monday.
The .315 hitter hit a 1-2 fastball from Jesse Chavez at diving third baseman Kris Bryant, who touched third for the second out of the ninth before firing to first. The speedy Yelich reached safely just before the throw landed in the glove of the outstretched Anthony Rizzo.
"It's fun," Manager Craig Counsell said. "They might not be saying the same thing, but it was a game with some great plays and a lot of individual efforts."
The second-place Brewers, looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2011, pulled within four games of the NL Central-leading Cubs. The Brewers also lead the wild-card race, 1½ games ahead of second-place St. Louis.
The Brewers took advantage of wildness by Cubs reliever Steve Cishek (4-3), who loaded the bases with a walk, passed ball and two hit batters. It set up the game-winning fielder's choice by Yelich, the reigning National League Player of the Week.
"I saw him catch it and I saw him go to third, so I just started busting it, man," Yelich said.
Cubs Manager Joe Maddon said he was fine with Bryant's decision to throw to first to try to get Yelich instead of home to get the equally speedy Broxton.
"But it shouldn't even get to that point. Listen, we played a wonderful game. We walked too many people," Maddon said.
Broxton said he was ready for a play at the plate, even though Bryant had to dive to make the initial stop.
"I guess he thought he had a better chance to turn a double play," Broxton said. "But, yeah, I'm definitely surprised. I would think he would want to go home with it and try to save the game."
Milwaukee tied the score 3-3 after pinch-hitter Mike Moustakas drew a four-pitch walk with two outs in the eighth from Carl Edwards Jr. during an at-bat in which home-plate umpire Gabe Morales ejected two Cubs. Maddon got tossed after the count went to 2-0; Edwards got the boot during a pitching change in which he was being lifted from the game.
"It's borderline. Listen, I'm defending my player there. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong as a manager, but you've got to defend your player right there," Maddon said.
Anthony Rizzo hit a two-out, two-run home run off left-hander Josh Hader in the eighth.
Jeremy Jeffress (8-1) got the win after pitching a scoreless top of the ninth.
Yelich extended his on-base streak to 20 games, the longest active streak in the National League.
Sports on 09/04/2018