Russell's blast caps rally as Cubs jolt Brewers
CHICAGO -- Addison Russell capped a late-game rally with a walk-off, three-run home run in the ninth inning as the Chicago Cubs beat the Milwaukee Brewers 7-4 in a Wrigley Field series finale on Wednesday.
Russell's homer -- his second -- came on a 2-and-0 pitch off Brewers closer Neftali Feliz and brought home pinch-runner Carl Edwards Jr. from third and Kris Bryant from second.
Cubs reliever Wade Davis (2-0) pitched one inning to get the win, while Feliz (0-2) took the loss.
Travis Shaw and Jett Bandy each added home runs to Milwaukee's major league-leading total (29), but it wasn't enough as the Brewers (8-8) couldn't hold a late-inning lead.
The Cubs (8-7) won their second straight, while the Brewers have lost two in a row.
Neither Brewers left-handed starter Tommy Milone nor Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks figured in the decision.
Eric Thames walked and Shaw hit his fourth homer of the season -- and second in the series -- to give the Brewers a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Bandy made it 3-0 in the second with a lead-off solo home run to left, his fourth of the season.
Cubs center fielder Albert Almora Jr. slugged his first homer of the season in the second, sending Milone's 3-and-1 pitch into the left field bleachers to cut the deficit to 3-1.
Milwaukee made it 4-1 in the fourth when Jonathan Villar singled home Orlando Arcia from second base with two out.
Hendricks worked five innings before being lifted for pinch-hitter Ben Zobrist. He allowed four runs on four hits, walked four and struck out four.
Cubs left-hander Mike Montgomery entered in relief, loaded the bases with one out but struck out Villar and got Thames to ground out to second after he fouled off four straight pitches.
Milone did not return for the sixth. He allowed one run on three hits and struck out five over five innings.
Brewers reliever Carlos Torres walked Anthony Rizzo and Russell in the sixth and Rizzo came home to cut the margin to 4-2 when Willson Contreras' two-out single bounced down the first-base line.
Corey Knebel, the Brewers' fourth pitcher of the day, got into a jam in the eighth with none out when he issued a lead-off walk to Bryant, gave up a base hit to Rizzo followed by a bloop hit to right by Russell that scored Bryant to make it a 4-3 game.
With one out, the Cubs executed a double steal but Almora struck out looking in an 11-pitch at-bat. Feliz then entered and struck out Javier Baez to shut down the threat.
Bryant forced a 4-4 tie with one out in the ninth with a single to center that drove in Jon Jay off Neftali.
NOTES: Brewers RHP Zach Davies (0-2. 8.79 ERA is Thursday's scheduled starter against Cardinals' RHP Carlos Martinez (0-2, 5.37 ERA) in a series opener at Miller Park. ... Milwaukee and Chicago are scheduled to meet again for a three-game Wrigley Field series from May 19-21. ... Tuesday's victory over the Brewers marked the first time since July 31, 2016, that the Cubs successfully rallied from five-runs down. ... RF Jason Heyward, the Cubs' top hitting regular (.300) had a day off from starting on Wednesday, as Matt Szczur got his first start of the season and batted leadoff. ... After 14 straight starts, LF Kyle Schwarber also got a rest. His .500 on-base percentage is third in the major leagues behind San Diego's Manuel Margot and Alex Gordon both .538. ... Cubs LHP Jon Lester (0-0, 1.00 ERA) is scheduled to go on Friday at Cincinnati against Reds RHP Tim Adleman (0-0, 2.25 ERA)