Wily Peralta Leads Brewers in 2-1 Win Over Chicago

Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Wily Peralta struck out a career-high thirteen and Carlos Gomez had a home run and a double to lead the offense as the Milwaukee Brewers evened the series with the Chicago Cubs with a 2-1 win Saturday evening at Miller Park before 41,000 fans.

The Brewers and the Cubs met for the 18th time this season tonight, with the Cubs having clinched the season series with their 10-7 advantage thus far. The Cubs sent out lefthander Tsuyoshi Wada (4-3, 3.17 ERA), while Wily Peralta (16-11, 3.58 ERA) took the ball for Milwaukee.

Chicago had a minor threat going in the top of the first when Chris Coghlan and Anthony Rizzo each singled and move up to third and second, respectively, on a Jorge Soler groundout, but died there when Luis Valbuena whiffed.

In the bottom half of the second, the Brewers had runners at the corners after singles by Jean Segura and Gerardo Parra with one out, but Wada struck out Martin Maldonado and Peralta to end the inning.

The Cubs got on the board first in the top of the third.

After Coghlan drew a one-out walk and Javier Baez struck out, Rizzo ripped a one-hopper to the wall in the right field corner, scoring Coghlan for an early lead. Soler looked at strike three to end the inning.

Carlos Gomez smashed a lead-off home run in the bottom of the third into the netting behind the Brewers bullpen in left-center field to tie the game at one, his club-leading 23rd of the season.

Jonathan Lucroy lined his second hit of the game to left to raise his average to .299 and with two outs, Rickie Weeks walked to put runners at first and second. Segura flied out to right to end the threat.

The Brewers took the lead in the bottom of the fifth when Gomez led off with a double to left and then one out later, scored from third on Lucroy’s double to left, which set a major league record for two-baggers as a catcher with 46, and also tied Lyle Overbay’s team record of 53.

Weeks led off the bottom of the sixth with a shot to left that got stuck under the fence and while Weeks trotted home, umpire Laz Diaz ruled it a ground-rule double.

Segura reached on an infield single to short that Weeks could not advance on. Parra grounded into a 3-6-1 twin killing to put two outs on the scoreboard. Maldonado was walked intentionally but Peralta struck out to end the frame.

Arismendy Alcantara tripled to the right-center field wall with one down in the seventh to excite the Cubs faithful, but Peralta whiffed Ryan Kalish and Logan Watkins to end the inning.

Jonathan Broxton came on in the eighth in relief of Peralta, who had gone seven innings, allowed five hits and one earned run while striking out a career-high 13 and walking only one. Broxton struck out two in a three up, three down inning.

Weeks singled in the bottom of the eighth and then was replaced by pinch-runner Elian Herrera, who stole second before being stranded when Overbay struck out.

Francisco Rodriguez came in for the save opportunity and did not disappoint, although he allowed a walk to Wellington Castillo before striking out Alcantara for his 44th save of the season.

The Brewers will face the Cubs tomorrow in the final game of the season.