MILWAUKEE — The layoff of a first-round bye did not stifle the Brewers’ bats at all early Saturday, as they opened their Game 1 contest against the Cubs by matching the biggest inning in the franchise’s postseason history.
The Cubs opted to start Matthew Boyd on three days’ rest, and the Brewers were able to pounce on him early with three doubles on three pitches. Jackson Chourio opened with a double down the third-base line before Brice Turang doubled to right and William Contreras dropped one just by diving left fielder Ian Happ.
The big break of the inning was on defense, though. With two on and one out, Sal Frelick hit a cue shot that Nico Hoerner was not able to corral. Contreras took an aggressive turn around third and was able to beat the throw home on the relay, letting out a roar to match the energy at American Family Field.
Boyd was lifted with two outs for Michael Soroka after Blake Perkins singled in another run. Soroka walked Joey Ortiz to load the bases before Chourio ripped his second hit of the inning, a two-run single to make it 6-1. Turang struck out to end the rally, but by that point, the Cubs’ early lead had long been erased. The first two runs of the inning were earned, the last four unearned.
That six-run first inning was the largest in the franchise’s postseason, and tied for the most runs they scored in any inning in the postseason. They had previously scored six runs in the fifth inning of Game 1 of the 2011 National League Championship Series against the Cardinals and in the seventh inning of Game 4 of the 1982 World Series, also against the Cards.
Teams that scored at least six runs in the first inning are 11-0 in the postseason.
