Brewers' Anderson toys with no-no in win over Cubs
MILWAUKEE -- Ben Zobrist broke up Chase Anderson's no-hit bid with a leadoff double in the eighth inning and Jason Hayward and Kris Bryant hit back-to-back homers in the ninth, but it wasn't enough to prevent the Chicago Cubs from falling 4-2 to the Milwaukee Brewers Tuesday night at Miller Park.
Anderson (2-5) was perfect through 5 1/3 innings, allowing his first runner of the day on a one-out walk to Miguel Montera. He struck out his next two batters to get out of the inning, then worked a perfect ninth before Zobrist slapped Anderson's first offering -- his 88th of the night -- off the wall in center.
The Cubs went down in order and Anderson got two quick outs in the ninth before Hayward hit his first home run of the season.
Bryant followed with a solo shot to make it a 4-2 game chasing Anderson and bringing on closer Jeremy Jeffress, who struck out Anthony Rizzo on three pitches to earn his 11th save in 11 chances this season.
Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks (2-3) worked into the sixth and allowed four runs on five hits and two walks while striking out six.
He got off to a good start, facing just two over the minimum through his first three innings. Jonathan Lucroy gave Anderson a lead in the fourth with a solo home run -- his third in as many games -- and Milwaukee broke things open by tagging Hendricks for three in the sixth, two of them off a double by Chris Carter that brought Hendricks' day to an end.
Zobrist's hit leaves Juan Nieves as the only pitcher in Brewers' history to throw a no-hitter, having accomplished the feat on April 15, 1987, against the Orioles at Memorial Stadium.
The Cubs own the only no-hitter in the history of Miller Park, which opened in 2001. It came on Sept. 18, 2008, when Carlos Zambrano struck out 10 in a 5-0 victory over the Houston Astros; a game moved to Milwaukee because of Hurricane Ike.
While Anderson was perfect through his first five innings of work, Kyle Hendricks was sharp as well.
He only allowed two hits, but one of them was a solo home run by Lucroy in the fourth that gave Milwaukee a 1-0 lead.
NOTES: After sitting out two games with a sore right wrist, LF Ryan Braun was back in the Milwaukee starting lineup Tuesday night. ... Looking to add depth to their bullpen, the Cubs signed RHP Joe Nathan to a one-year contract Tuesday and immediately placed him on the 60-day disabled list as he continues to rehab from his second Tommy John surgery, performed last April. The six-time All-Star made just one appearance for the Tigers last season after saving 35 games for Detroit in 2014. ... Brewers manager Craig Counsell said embattled RHP Wily Peralta would make his next scheduled start Friday against the Mets at Citi Field. Peralta has struggled all season, going 2-4 with a 7.30 ERA and has a 5.42 ERA in his last 28 starts overall. ... The Cubs arrived in Milwaukee having won seven straight meetings with the Brewers, dating to June 30 of last season.