Justin Steele struck out eight over six shutout innings, and the host Chicago Cubs made a first-inning run stand up to snap the Milwaukee Brewers’ nine-game winning streak with a 1-0 victory on Tuesday night.
Steele (15-3) lowered his ERA from 2.80 to 2.69, trailing only the San Diego Padres’ Blake Snell (2.60). Steele allowed six hits and one walk.
The left-hander had to grind things out early. He allowed two runners in each of the first two innings, and took a ball to the leg off the bat of Victor Caratini on an infield hit in the second. However, he settled down and retired 10 consecutive batters at one point en route to his 18th quality start this season — over 111 pitches.
Mark Leiter Jr., Julian Merryweather and Adbert Alzolay (22nd save) pitched one inning apiece, combining to allow one hit while striking out three.
The Cubs evened this three-game set and moved within four games of the NL Central-leading Brewers. Milwaukee, which averaged 7.1 runs during its winning streak, left six men on base and went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.
Meanwhile, Milwaukee’s Corbin Burnes (9-7) was nearly as good and lasted even longer. He allowed eight hits and two walks while striking out seven over seven innings to post his 19th quality start of the season. The right-hander’s only blemish came early in the night.
After Milwaukee failed to convert with runners on second and third and one out in the first, the Cubs did not. Burnes hit Nico Hoerner with a pitch, and Ian Happ’s double sent Hoerner to third. He scored on Cody Bellinger’s groundout.
Happ, Dansby Swanson and Yan Gomes each had two hits for Chicago, which is 27-12 since July 18 and holds a wild-card spot in the National League. Gomes also threw out Milwaukee star Christian Yelich trying to steal second base with one out in the eighth.
Mark Canha had two hits for the Brewers, who struck out 11 times.
–Field Level Media
