Willy Adames hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning, helping the Milwaukee Brewers secure a 5-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Monday as Craig Counsell returned to American Family Field.
Counsell, who holds the record for most wins as a manager in Brewers history, left Milwaukee after last season when he signed a five-year contract with the Cubs worth over $40 million. He had already managed against his former team when the Cubs won two out of three games at Wrigley Field from May 3-5.
“We were all looking forward to this series because it’s always intense playing against the Cubs, especially with Counsell coming back for the first time since he left,” Adames said.
The Brewers welcomed Counsell back with a short thank-you video message on the scoreboard, but Brewers fans in the sellout crowd of 41,882 responded with boos every time he left the dugout.
“I think the fans are here to enjoy a day and enjoy a baseball game,” Counsell said. “They can do what they want. Hopefully, they had a good time.”
The Cubs lost their fifth consecutive game and wasted a strong performance from Justin Steele, who matched scoreless innings with Milwaukee’s Robert Gasser for most of the day. The Cubs arrived in Milwaukee early Monday morning after a rain-delayed game in St. Louis on Sunday night.
The Brewers, leading the NL Central, moved 4½ games ahead of the second-place Cubs.
Steele pitched seven innings before the Brewers scored against Mark Leiter Jr. (1-3) and Hayden Wesneski in the eighth. Milwaukee’s Bryan Hudson (3-0) escaped a jam in the seventh and pitched the eighth inning for the win.
