Milwaukee Brewers starter Colin Rea and four relievers combined to blank the host Chicago Cubs 1-0 on Tuesday in the second game of a three-game set.
Following an 84-minute rain delay, Rea allowed four hits, struck out eight and walked two over five innings.
Bryan Hudson and Elvis Peguero (6-3) followed with perfect innings before Jared Koenig worked into and out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth. Trevor Megill gave up a single, but he stranded the tying run at second in the ninth to earn his 20th save in 22 opportunities.
Jackson Chourio had two hits for Milwaukee, which has won three of four coming out of the All-Star break.
Cubs right-hander Jameson Taillon (7-5) allowed one run and four hits in 7 1/3 innings. He struck out three and walked three.
Nico Hoerner and Dansby Swanson each had two hits for Chicago, which won the series opener 3-1 on Monday night.
Taillon came back out for the eighth inning after throwing 88 pitches through seven and gave up a leadoff single to Jake Bauers. Chourio then singled to center, but he was tagged out trying for second as Bauers moved to third.
Julian Merryweather then replaced Taillon and struck out Garrett Mitchell for the second out, but Brice Turang slapped a ground-ball single up the middle to drive in Bauers for a 1-0 lead.
The Cubs left the bases loaded in the second, and Rea then settled in and retired eight hitters in a row before Hoerner doubled with two outs in the fifth. After a walk to Michael Busch, Rea got Seiya Suzuki looking at a called third strike to end the inning.
Mitchell beat out a bunt single to Cubs third baseman Christopher Morel to start the sixth. Mitchell was initially called out, but the call was overturned after a challenge by Milwaukee. Mitchell stole second, and Turang’s sacrifice bunt got him to third. Morel then made a nice play on a hard ground ball by William Contreras before throwing Mitchell out at the plate for the second out.
Taillon retired the Brewers in order in the seventh.
–Field Level Media
