Division Dream Still On Life Support

Six back in the Central with 35 to go — the fight isn’t over yet.

A beautiful evening for baseball at The Friendly Confines

CHICAGO — “It feels like we’re kinda back to the way that we’re used to playing. It’s good to win those three games — and I think everyone expects us to come out tomorrow and do the same thing,” Cubs starter Colin Rea said after locking down his 10th win of the season in the Cubs 4-3 win over the Brewers.

Rea went 5.2 innings, allowing just three hits and two runs — though his five walks were uncharacteristic. Still, the Cubs are now 16-7 in his starts with 16 outings of two earned runs or fewer.

They've needed every ounce of what he's given them with the significant injuries they've had with their starting rotation. Craig Counsell praised his patchwork rotation.

"I think at one point the Braves I think had their five April starters on the 60 day IL," said manager Craig Counsell pregame. "That's an extreme case and I'm not sure any team can recover from something like that but it can happen. We have had some injuries. I think overall we've been fortunate in how we've been able to put that puzzle together to this point. Our group has been very good this year."

The Cubs offense mustered just four hits, but Michael Busch delivered the big swing, a three-run double in the third after Matt Shaw’s gritty 11-pitch at-bat to load the bases, giving the Cubs a 3-1 lead.

“I knew he was gonna come in the zone with something hard. I ended up putting a good swing on it and it happened to fall," Busch said.

Shaw wasn’t done. He put the Cubs up 4-2 in the eighth — his solo home run provided key insurance and ended up being the difference. Since the All-Star break, the rookie is hitting .302 with five doubles, two triples, nine homers, 18 RBI, and a 1.085 OPS. He’s now the first rookie this season with at least 10 HR and 10 SB.

The Brewers clawed back late to cut the lead to 4-3 but closer Daniel Palencia secured his 18th save in 20 chances, stranding the bases loaded by getting William Contreras to line out to Nico Hoerner.

Milwaukee has now lost three straight to the same team for the first time since their first three to start the season versus the Yankees.

With the win, the Cubs have cut the Brewers NL Central lead to six games.

The finale — Shota Imanaga (8-3, 2.67 ERA) vs. Quinn Priester (11-2, 3.48 ERA) — and if the Cubs can take four straight, they’ll roll into the easiest remaining schedule in baseball (next 24 games vs sub-.500 teams) with serious momentum.

Kyle Tucker Revelation

Kyle Tucker and the Cubs downplayed the finger injury he suffered in June sliding into second base. He had a .981 OPS that made it easy to believe all was well. On Wednesday, Counsell confirmed a report from ESPN’s Jesse Rogers that Tucker was diagnosed with a hairline fracture in his right hand in June.

“He was sore for a little while but was able to play. We did more imaging and it showed a small fracture that was healing. Is it possible that this changed some things — yeah, absolutely. I think it’s probably likely that at some point that happened but he wanted to play,” Counsell said after the Cubs 4-3 win.

Tucker was asked about playing through any injuries on Tuesday. “I don’t really think it matters how I feel or what I think. Our game is based off how successful you are on the field as an individual or a team, regardless of how you feel.”

Counsell also said the fracture “hasn’t been an issue” and it has healed. Tucker is hitting .148 with one RBI in 15 games in August. He’s been out of the lineup since Tuesday for a “hopeful reset” — the Cubs have gone 3-0.