Cubs use 4-run 1st inning to top the Brewers 4-3 and avoid NL Division Series sweep

CHICAGO — Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a tiebreaking two-run single and the Chicago Cubs avoided a sweep by holding off the Milwaukee Brewers for a 4-3 victory in Game 3 of their NL Division Series on Wednesday.

Crow-Armstrong’s two-out swing was part of a four-run first inning for Chicago — continuing a wild trend. Michael Busch kicked off the rally by becoming the first player in major league history with multiple leadoff homers in a single postseason series.

The matchup of NL Central rivals is the first postseason series in which both teams scored in the first in each of the first three games.

Jake Bauers rallied Milwaukee with an RBI single in the fourth and a leadoff drive in the seventh. He started at first base in place of Andrew Vaughn, who hit a three-run homer in the Brewers’ 7-3 victory in Game 2 on Monday night.

Milwaukee loaded the bases in the eighth, but Brad Keller escaped the jam when he struck out Bauers swinging. Keller then retired the side in order in the ninth for the save.

Game 4 of the best-of-five series is on Thursday night.

Looking to sweep their way to the franchise’s first trip to the NL Championship Series since 2018, Milwaukee jumped in front in the first.

With runners on first and second with one out, William Contreras hit a mile-high popup that Busch lost in the sun before it landed in the infield for a single. Sal Frelick followed with a sacrifice fly off Jameson Taillon.

Chicago got the run right back when Busch drove a full-count cutter from Quinn Priester deep to right-center, delighting the crowd of 40,737 at Wrigley Field. It was the first baseman’s team-high third homer of the postseason.

A single by Nico Hoerner and walks for Kyle Tucker and Ian Happ loaded the bases for Crow-Armstrong, who chased Priester with a liner to right. Happ made it 4-1 when he scampered home on a wild pitch from Nick Mears.

It was a rough homecoming for Priester after a breakout performance this season. The 25-year-old right-hander, who grew up in the Chicago area, threw 39 pitches, 21 for strikes.

Taillon surrendered Bauers’ run-scoring single in the fourth. But the veteran right-hander limited the damage when he retired Joey Ortiz on a grounder to third, stranding runners on second and third.

The Brewers went 2 for 9 with runners in scoring position and left seven runners on base. The Cubs went 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position and also stranded seven baserunners.