Urías homer lifts Brewers over Cubs 7-6 in twinbill opener

CHICAGO -- — Luis Urías lined three-run homer into the basket in left-center to break a seventh-inning tie, and the Milwaukee Brewers held on to beat the Chicago Cubs 7-6 in the opener of a day-night doubleheader on Monday.

With the score 4-4, Mike Brosseau singled off Daniel Norris (0-3) with two outs and Kolten Wong walked. Urias Urías hit a 3-2 slider for a drive that barely made it over the ivy, his fifth homer this season.

“The last at-bat, when I hit the homer, I was just trying to stay short to the ball and I got a good pitch to hit,” Urías said. “I hit it good.”

Milwaukee trailed 4-2 before Tyrone Taylor’s two-run homer in the sixth off Matt Swarmer tied the score on a warm afternoon with the wind blowing out.

Jace Peterson lofted a long solo drive for Milwaukee, which won its second straight and dealt the Cubs a second straight loss.

Swarmer and Milwaukee’s Ethan Small made their big league debuts. It marked the first time in Brewers history that both starters made their debuts and the first for the Cubs since 1944.

Swarmer tossed six innings, allowing four runs — one earned — five hits and one walk in six innings. The 28-year-old right-hander struck out six and was in line for the win before Taylor went deep off him in the sixth to tie it at 4.

Chicago manager David Ross liked what he saw from Swarmer.

“It never felt like he sped up, which happens to a lot of guys,” Ross said. "Just continued to control what he could control, and I think that definitely stands out from a guy making his first start, first time in the big leagues.”

Small was charged with two runs and four hits with four strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings. The lefty ran into control problems in the third when he walked four.

“I felt like I was on cruise control through the first two,” Small said. “Then I got to the third and made a couple of bad pitches and it just kind of snowballed.”

P.J. Higgins and Rafael Ortega hit solo shots on consecutive pitches off Trevor Kelley in the fourth. Higgins’ homer was his first in the majors; Ortega finished with three hits.

Nico Hoerner had three RBI on three hits, but the Cubs lost for the fourth time in five games.

Miguel Sánchez (1-1) gave up one hits in two scoreless innings, and Josh Hader worked around a leadoff single by Hoerner in the ninth, striking out three for his 17th save in 17 chances.

CUBS MOVES

Besides recalling to Swarmer, the Cubs recalled OF Nelson Velázquez from Iowa and added RHP Anderson Espinoza from Double-A Tennessee as the 27th man for the doubleheader. Velázquez started in right and reached on an infield single in his first at-bat.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Brewers: Placed RHP Brandon Woodruff on the 15-day IL with a right high ankle sprain a move retroactive to Saturday. Woodruff a two-time All-Star, sustained the injury on Friday at St. Louis, when he pitched four innings in a loss. He’s 5-3 with a 4.74 ERA in nine games this season. The Brewers recalled RHP Peter Strzelecki from Triple-A Nashville.

Cubs: Placed OF Jonathan Villar on the 10-day IL, retroactive to Friday, with a mouth injury incurred while training. ... Transferred RHP Ethan Roberts (right shoulder inflammation) to the 60-day IL.

UP NEXT

LHP Eric Lauer (5-1, 2.31) is scheduled to start for the Brewers on Tuesday and LHP Justin Steele (1-5, 5.40) for the Cubs.

------