Brewers bounced after Williams' 'bad luck' night

MILWAUKEE -- The first two Cubs and Brewers matchups this week were drama-laden, featuring big comebacks.

The third game on Wednesday night was no different, but the Brewers were on the wrong side of a late rally. Chicago won, 4-3, at American Family Field after a rare -- albeit tough-luck -- blown save by All-Star closer Devin Williams.

“I did everything I can do,” Williams said. “Just bad luck there.”

Williams came on in the ninth with Milwaukee holding a 3-1 lead. Cody Bellinger, Christopher Morel and Jared Young -- the Cubs’ sixth, seventh and eighth hitters -- were due up. The Brewers' closer had been nearly perfect this season, entering Wednesday 18-for-19 in save opportunities.

Williams threw Bellinger an 0-1 four-seam fastball up and in on the hands, and the Cubs' center fielder blooped it out into right-center field. The flare, which had a 69.2 mph exit velocity, fell between Joey Wiemer, Blake Perkins and Brice Turang for a leadoff single.

Williams came back and struck out Christopher Morel, but more tough luck followed. In a 2-2 count, left-handed-hitting Jared Young hit a cue shot to third base. The Brewers’ infield was shaded toward the right side, and although third baseman Brian Anderson made a nice play, his throw was late.

The slow-rolling ground ball had a 58.4 mph exit velocity and 10 percent hit probability, according to Statcast.

Williams then got Yan Gomes to ground out to Turang, who made a nice play and jump throw up the middle for the second out. An eight-pitch battle with Mike Tauchman ensued, the first seven of which were on or around the edges of the zone.

Williams left the eighth pitch -- a 2-2 four-seam fastball -- belt-high, and Tauchman sliced it into left field for a game-tying two-run double. It came after the Cubs' designated hitter fouled off the previous four pitches.

“It was an interesting at-bat, you know? I don’t know,” Williams said. “It seemed like he was on a lot of pitches there. I made a mistake there at the end. He put a good swing on it.”

Nico Hoerner followed Tauchman, and it looked like the Brewers were going to get out of the inning tied when the Cubs' second baseman hit a grounder to Anderson at third.

Anderson shaded to his left and scooped up the ball, but made a throwing error. His toss was out of the reach of an outstretched Owen Miller at first base. Tauchman came around to score the go-ahead run.

“They found grass with two hits that were not well-hit, and Tauchman had a good at-bat,” manager Craig Counsell said. “Give him credit for having a nice at-bat and fouling off pitches. Put a ball in play and we made a mistake, and that was it.”

Hoerner was hustling, but Anderson said that didn’t cause him to speed things up. He said he just didn’t make a good throw.

“That's a play that I've got to make 10 out of 10 times,” Anderson said. “I was bouncing around on defense today. I was making good plays. I just didn't make that last one. Didn't put a good throw over there to Owen, and it cost us today.”

The blown save was Williams’ first since June 13 against the Twins. Before that, you have to go back to Oct. 1 of last season.

“Stuff was fine, command was fine,” Williams said of his outing. “I was doing what I wanted to do. ... Bloop hit to start the inning, struck out the next guy. Jam shot, whatever that was to third. They hit one ball out of the infield the whole inning.”

After erasing a 6-0 deficit in Monday’s comeback win, the Brewers have dropped two tough ones to the Cubs. They came back from a 6-2 deficit late Tuesday before falling in 11 innings.

They got a solid outing on Wednesday from Adrian Houser, who worked around six hits and three walks to allow one run in five innings. Willy Adames hit his first homer since June 23 -- just the fourth home run Cubs starter Justin Steele has allowed this season -- to give Milwaukee a 2-1 lead in the sixth.

Meanwhile, Anderson’s error was cruel irony. He had an RBI single in the sixth that gave the Brewers a 3-1 lead. He was activated off the paternity list before the game.

“Dev gives up the two runs, and then he does his job and gets a weak ground ball to me,” Anderson said. “It was just a tough one today.”