Cubs ride bullpen to win over Brewers in series opener

Ian Happ homered to help the Chicago Cubs to a 3-1 win against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers in the opener of their three-game series on Monday evening.

Michael Busch had two hits and an RBI and Dansby Swanson also had two hits for the Cubs, who are 2-2 since the All-Star break

Chicago starter Javier Assad allowed one hit and no runs over 3 1/3 innings, but he walked six and struck out two.

Drew Smyly (3-5), Tyson Miller and Mark Leiter Jr. combined for 3 2/3 scoreless innings and Hector Neris pitched the ninth for his 14th save.

Brewers rookie right-hander Tobias Myers (6-4) allowed three runs (two earned) and six hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out six and walked two.

Willy Adames homered and Garrett Mitchell had two hits for Milwaukee, which had won three in a row.

Assad walked three straight batters with two outs in the third and then fell behind 3-0 to Sal Frelick before inducing a ground out to short on a 3-2 pitch.

Miguel Amaya reached on an infield single to shortstop to start the bottom half of the inning for the Cubs. Myers then tripped while making his delivery, resulting in a balk. He retired the next two batters, but Busch came through with a two-out RBI single to center to give Chicago a 1-0 lead.

Assad was removed after issuing back-to-back walks with one out in the fourth.

Smyly entered and Mitchell hit his second pitch into right field to load the bases, but Brice Turang grounded into a force play at home and William Contreras grounded out to third to leave the bases loaded for the second straight inning.

Mike Tauchman singled to cap an eight-pitch at-bat with one out in the fourth. Swanson hit a comebacker to Myers, but his throw to second went into center field, putting runners on the corners.

After a walk loaded the bases, Myers bounced an 0-2 pitch with Pete Crow-Armstrong at the plate and the ball caromed off the chest of Contreras and rolled far enough away for Tauchman to score on a close play to make it 2-0.

Happ lined a homer over the fence in left to lead off the sixth and expand the lead to 3-0.

Adames homered off Porter Hodge to start the eighth and cut it to 3-1.

--Field Level Media