The Milwaukee Brewers wasted no time showing they were ready for October baseball. A blistering six-run first inning — capped by rookie sensation Jackson Chourio’s two-run single — powered the Brewers to a commanding 9-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs in Game 1 of the National League Division Series on Saturday at American Family Field.
Hoping to put years of playoff frustration behind them, the Brewers looked every bit like the team that posted baseball’s best record during the regular season. Milwaukee’s lineup erupted for 13 hits — none of them homers — while showcasing the contact-heavy, disciplined approach that carried them through 2024.
“We just stuck to what we’ve done all year — put the ball in play, move runners, and make things happen,” said Brewers manager Pat Murphy. “The guys came out with great energy.”
The tone was set immediately. After Chicago’s Michael Busch opened the game with a solo homer, Milwaukee roared back in the bottom of the first. Brice Turang and William Contreras followed Chourio’s leadoff double with back-to-back two-baggers of their own, and a defensive miscue by Cubs shortstop Nico Hoerner allowed another run to score.
Blake Perkins capped an 11-pitch at-bat with an RBI single before Chourio returned to the plate and lined a two-run single to center, pushing Milwaukee’s lead to 6-1 and chasing Cubs starter Matthew Boyd, who lasted just two-thirds of an inning on short rest.
“We wanted to make a statement early,” Chourio said. “It felt great to be part of that kind of inning.”
Unfortunately, Chourio’s night ended prematurely when he exited in the second inning with tightness in his right hamstring — the same one that sidelined him for a month during the regular season. He underwent an MRI after the game.
Murphy called the situation “potentially devastating,” though Chourio expressed optimism, saying, “I think it’s just tight. I’ll be fine.”
Given a big cushion, Freddy Peralta turned in a steady performance on the mound. The right-hander struck out nine — tying the franchise postseason record shared by Don Sutton, Yovani Gallardo, and Brandon Woodruff — while allowing two runs over 5 2/3 innings.
“That’s Freddy at his best,” Murphy said. “He attacks hitters, and when he gets that rhythm, it’s tough to square him up.”
Chicago’s offense came exclusively via the long ball — solo shots from Busch, Ian Happ, and Hoerner — but the early hole proved too deep. Boyd’s short-rest start backfired badly, and manager Craig Counsell’s return to Milwaukee added another layer of drama to an already hostile environment.
Counsell, the winningest manager in Brewers history, was relentlessly booed throughout the game by a sold-out crowd waving yellow towels. His decision to start Boyd just three days after his Wild Card outing against San Diego immediately came under fire after Milwaukee’s six-run outburst.
“We just didn’t execute early,” Counsell said. “You can’t give a team like that six runs and expect to win.”
For a franchise that had scored more than four runs in just one of its previous 13 playoff games, Saturday’s eruption was cathartic. Milwaukee’s six-run first tied a franchise postseason record, and they added three more in the second — highlighted by Caleb Durbin’s two-run single — to make it 9-1.
From there, the Brewers’ bullpen cruised while former Brewer Aaron Civale and rookie Ben Brown combined for 6 1/3 innings of shutout relief for Chicago, keeping the game from getting even more lopsided.
With the victory, Milwaukee takes a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series. Game 2 is scheduled for Monday night at American Family Field. The Brewers will look to maintain their momentum and take control of the series, while the Cubs hope to regroup and even things up before returning to Wrigley Field.
If Saturday was any indication, though, these Brewers are a team on a mission — one that finally looks ready to rewrite their October story.
