Cubs 5, Brewers 3: First-place Cubs send a message to Milwaukee in first trip to Wrigley

CHICAGO — In their first trip to Wrigley Field this year, the Milwaukee Brewers got to see up close and firsthand why the Chicago Cubs have usurped them at the top of the division this year.

They mash.

A go-ahead home run by Seiya Suzuki got the ballpark rocking in the fifth inning and a towering insurance blast off the bat of Pete Crow-Armstrong turned it into a frenzy in a 5-3 win over the Brewers on June 17.

Jun 17, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs designated hitter Seiya Suzuki (27) hits a three-run home run against the Milwaukee Brewers during the fifth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images

With the loss, Milwaukee fell 6½ games back of Chicago for first in the National League Central.

It was a rare night with the wind blowing out, only the fifth time that's happened on the north side of Chicago this season in a home game. The Cubs offense leads baseball by far with 68 road homers, but with the conditions in their favor they took advantage of the Brewers in two critical moments.

PCA burns the Brewers

It's been a breakout year for Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, but it's still his glove that remains the most ridiculous part of his game. Crow-Armstrong made one of the most difficult catches of the year, ranging deep into the left-center gap to take a hit away from Brice Turang for the second out in the eighth.

Then, he showed he's not bad with the bat, either, sending the first pitch of the bottom of the eighth into orbit with a solo homer that traveled 452 feet.

Brewers get one back but fail to tack on more again

Missed chances. That's the story of this one for the Brewers offense, even with three runs through six innings.

In the first, they stranded William Contreras after a two-out double. Another double was left on base in the third. Then another in the fourth, with a walk that put two on with nobody out to boot. They had two more on base in the fifth and didn't score.

In the sixth, Joey Ortiz did come through with an RBI single, but that was all the Brewers would get as Sal Frelick struck out and Ortiz was thrown out trying to steal second.

Decision to leave Chad Patrick in backfires

When the Cubs' order turned over to bring the top of the lineup to bat a third time, the Brewers got Rob Zastryzny up in the bullpen, seemingly to take on the string of lefties due up. But rather than bringing him into the game, manager Pat Murphy chose to let it ride with starter Chad Patrick.

It backfired.

Patrick walked Ian Happ, gave up a ringing double off the wall to Kyle Tucker, who was already 2 for 2 with a double against the right-hander, and go-ahead, three-run homer to Seiya Suzuki.

It didn't help that Patrick got squeezed by home plate umpire Scott Barry, who called two pitches in the strike zone balls in the Happ plate appearance, but Patrick nevertheless had an .888 OPS against the third time through the order.

The Cubs finished with a 50% hard-hit rate against Patrick.

Isaac Collins takes Ben Brown deep

Cubs right-hander Ben Brown has been the Brewers' own personal kryptonite over the past two years, not allowing a single run over 13 innings. Last May, Brown threw seven no-hit innings with 10 strikeouts in a Cubs win at American Family Field.

For the first time in three starts, the Brewers offense finally got to him. Following a Rhys Hoskins leadoff walk in the second, Isaac Collins drove a two-run home run out to right field to open the scoring. Collins' third home run of the season traveled 384 feet.

Chicago's offense got one of the runs back in the bottom of the inning with a two-out rally consisting of a Nico Hoerner single and Matt Shaw RBI double.

What time is the Brewers game today?

Time: 7:05 p.m.

What channel is the Brewers game on today?

TV Channel: FanDuel Sports Wisconsin, Fox 6.

Brewers lineup

TBA

Cubs lineup

TBA

Brewers schedule

Brewers at Cubs, 7:05 p.m. June 18. Milwaukee RHP Jacob Misiorowski (1-0, 0.00) vs. Chicago RHP Jameson Taillon (7-3, 3.48). TV – FanDuel Sports Wisconsin. Radio – AM-620 WTMJ.

Brewers at Cubs, 1:20 p.m. June 19. Milwaukee Freddy Peralta (6-4, 2.60) vs. Chicago RHP Cade Horton (3-1, 3.47). TV – FanDuel Sports Wisconsin. Radio – AM-620 WTMJ.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Cubs 5, Brewers 3: First-place Cubs send a message to Milwaukee in first trip to Wrigley