Chicago: The Chicago Cubs became the first team this season to clinch a Major League Baseball division title even though they lost 5-4 to the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday night.
Because of the loss, the Cubs needed some help to capture their first NL Central crown since the 2008 season. And they got it later that night from the San Francisco Giants who dusted off the St. Louis Cardinals 6-2 in San Francisco.
The Cubs did not stick around the stadium and instead will celebrate after playing the second game of their four-game series on Friday.
“It would have been wonderful to do so for the fans (Thursday), but that’s part of the uncontrollable nature of our game,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said.
“We had a really good way about us today. We just made a couple of mistakes that we normally don’t make. That’s going to happen.
Brewers pinch hitter Scooter Gennett broke a tie in the seventh inning as he doubled home Domingo Santana and Martin Maldonado with one out for go-ahead runs and a 5-3 lead.
Milwaukee starter Jimmy Nelson threw six innings of three-run ball to get the victory, the first of his career in 12 appearances against Chicago.
Reliever Tyler Thornburg faced the top of the Cubs’ order and got the final four outs for his 10th save.
