- Commissioner’s statement on Ventura, Marte
- Ronnie O’Sullivan: Masters champion ‘felt so vulnerable’ in final
- Arron Fletcher Wins 2017 WSOP International Circuit Marrakech Main Event ($140,224)
- Smith challenges Warner to go big in India
- Moncada No. 1 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- Braves land 2 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- Kingery makes MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- New Zealand wrap up 2-0 after Bangladesh implosion
- Mathews, Pradeep, Gunathilaka to return to Sri Lanka
- Elliott hopes for rain for Poli
Broxton robs Rizzo after Villar powers Crew
- Updated: September 8, 2016
MILWAUKEE –The Cubs’ magic number dropped to single digits, but it wasn’t because of what they did on the field Wednesday night. Jonathan Villar hit a pair of home runs, including a tiebreaking blast in the eighth, and Keon Broxton robbed Anthony Rizzo of a potential game-tying home run with an acrobatic catch to lift the Brewers to a 2-1 victory over the Cubs at Miller Park and take the series.
“That’s not my game. That’s Broxton’s game,” Villar said. “If he didn’t take the ball away it’s a tie game.”
The Cubs’ magic number to clinch the National League Central is now nine after the Cardinals lost to the Pirates on Wednesday.
“We know if we play, everything will take care of itself,” Rizzo said. “The sooner the better, obviously, but we have to keep playing.”
With the game tied at 1 in the eighth, Villar launched the first pitch from reliever Joe Smith to straightaway center, powering the Brewers to their sixth win in their last seven games.
Both starting pitchers were stingy, and each served up a solo homer. Villar smacked a leadoff home run in the fourth off Mike Montgomery but Anthony Rizzo tied the game against Matt Garza with a solo blast with two outs in the sixth, his 29th homer of the season. Rizzo was supposed to get Wednesday off, but manager Joe Maddon changed his mind after the first baseman hit two home runs on Tuesday.
“That felt like a real baseball game, like, one you’re on the edge of your seat the whole game,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “It was a game you’re hanging on every pitch.”
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Game-saver: Brewers closer Tyler Thornburg logged the save with a 1-2-3 ninth thanks in part to the Brewers’ defensive play of the year. Rookie center fielder Keon Broxton, who has surged at the plate since returning from a demotion to Triple-A, made a leaping catch in right-center field to rob Rizzo of what appeared to be a tying home run. Thornburg then retired Ben Zobrist on a more routine flyout to end the game.
“I think that’s every outfielder’s dream, in the ninth inning to be able to make a play like that,” Counsell said.
During batting practice prior to the game, Broxton and Thornburg discussed the art of robbing homers in the Miller Park outfield, only to hours later see their chat come to life.
“We were actually talking about the warning track in the outfield, if that bothered me,” …
