Boyd, Cubs blank Brewers to force decisive G5

CHICAGO -- Matthew Boyd pitched two-hit shot into the 5th inning, and the Chicago Cubs unopen down the Milwaukee Brewers for a 6-0 triumph Thursday nighttime that pushed their NL Division Series each the mode to a decisive Game 5.

Ian Happ, Kyle Tucker and Michael Busch homered for Chicago, delighting a rollicking Wrigley Field assemblage of 41,770. Busch went heavy for the 2nd consecutive crippled and 3rd clip successful the series.

The Cubs were connected the brink of elimination aft they dropped the archetypal 2 games of the NLDS successful Milwaukee. But they held connected for a 4-3 victory Wednesday earlier making the astir of a crisp show by Boyd and 4 relievers successful Game 4.

Next up is the finale of the best-of-five bid backmost successful Milwaukee connected Saturday night. The victor takes connected the Los Angeles Dodgers successful the National League Championship Series.

The Brewers, who went 97-65 this play for the majors' champion record, finished with 3 hits. They were 1 for 13 with runners successful scoring presumption and near 13 connected basal wide successful the series' 2 games astatine Wrigley.

Boyd besides started the bid opener Saturday. Pitching connected 3 days' rest, helium recorded conscionable 2 outs portion Freddy Peralta worked into the sixth inning successful Milwaukee's 9-3 win.

Given different opportunity, Boyd delivered. The All-Star left-hander struck retired six and walked 3 successful 4 2/3 innings.

The 34-year-old Boyd was staked to an aboriginal pb erstwhile Happ drove a 1-1 fastball from Peralta heavy to close for a three-run thrust with 2 retired successful the first. Nico Hoerner singled and Tucker walked up of Happ's 3rd vocation postseason homer.

Chicago has gone heavy successful the archetypal successful each of the 4 NLDS games. It has scored 11 of its 16 runs successful the bid successful the archetypal inning.

It was a large infinitesimal for Happ, who went 2 for 21 with 11 strikeouts successful Chicago's archetypal six postseason games this year.

The Cubs had a 3-0 pb erstwhile Boyd exited with runners connected 2nd and 3rd successful the fifth, drafting a immense ovation from the crowd. Daniel Palencia came successful and retired Jackson Chourio connected a popup to shortstop, ending the inning.

Palencia besides worked the sixth successful this 3rd triumph of the playoffs. Drew Pomeranz and Brad Keller each got 3 outs earlier Caleb Thielbar handled the ninth.