MILWAUKEE (AP) \u2014 The Chicago Cubs\u2019 hitters aren\u2019t putting enough balls in play, and their pitchers aren\u2019t keeping balls in play.<\/p>\n
That combination has the Cubs heading back home on the brink of elimination.<\/p>\n
Chicago gave up three homers and mustered just one hit after the second inning of a 7-3 loss<\/a> at Milwaukee on Monday night that gave the Brewers a 2-0 lead in their best-of-five NL Division Series.<\/p>\n The Cubs must win two straight in Chicago on Wednesday and Thursday to send the series back to Milwaukee for a deciding Game 5 on Saturday. Teams falling behind 2-0 in a best-of-five postseason series have won just 10 of 90 times.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s simple,\u201d Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. \u201cWe\u2019ve got to just win pitches. We\u2019ve got to win moments. You\u2019ve got to stay with your process and your routines. It\u2019s simple as that. We\u2019ve got our work cut out for us, but it\u2019s done by winning one pitch at a time and succeeding one pitch at a time.\u201d<\/p>\n They haven\u2019t won nearly enough pitches thus far.<\/p>\n The Cubs have struck out 23 times in this series \u2014 12 in a 9-3 loss in Game 1<\/a> on Saturday and 11 more on Monday. Meanwhile, Chicago allowed nine runs in the first three innings Saturday and gave up seven runs in the first four frames Monday.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not a surprise that they\u2019re going out there and throwing their best arms and all their guys seem to be locked in,\u201d said Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, who went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts Monday. \u201cIt\u2019s our job to execute. I know I haven\u2019t done that. It\u2019s a pretty simple idea here. If you put more balls in play, you\u2019ll probably score more.\u201d<\/p>\n Seiya Suzuki hit a three-run homer off Aaron Ashby to put the Cubs ahead 3-0 in the top of the first inning Monday, but Shota Imanaga allowed a three-run homer to Andrew Vaughn in the bottom half. Chicago never led again.<\/p>\n Imanaga also allowed a solo shot to William Contreras in the third, marking the sixth time in his last eight appearances that he\u2019s given up multiple homers.<\/p>\n \u201cI ruined the game, so there\u2019s a lot of frustration within myself,\u201d Imanaga said through an interpreter.<\/p>\n Daniel Palencia took over for Imanaga and gave up a three-run homer to Jackson Chourio in the fourth. Milwaukee ranked just 22nd in the majors in homers during the regular season.<\/p>\n Chicago hasn\u2019t gotten much from either of its starting pitchers so far. Although he didn\u2019t give up any homers, Matthew Boyd yielded six runs \u2014 two earned \u2014 and got just two outs in Game 1. The Brewers scored all nine of their runs in the first two innings that day.<\/p>\n The Cubs will turn to Jameson Taillon (11-7, 3.68 ERA) in Game 3, while the Brewers plan to start Quinn Priester (13-3, 3.32).<\/p>\n Suzuki\u2019s homer suggested the Cubs would take charge early in Game 2, but their lineup got silenced the rest of the way.<\/p>\n Chicago had runners at first and second in a tie game in the second inning when Nick Mears retired Nico Hoerner on a fly to right. The Cubs didn\u2019t get another runner beyond first base the rest of the night.<\/p>\n \u201cWe had two at-bats with runners in scoring position,\u201d Counsell said. \u201cThat\u2019s a pretty good sign that we\u2019re not creating enough pressure.\u201d<\/p>\n The Cubs believe they can still turn it around.<\/p>\n They won seven of 13 regular-season meetings with Milwaukee. They already staved off elimination at Wrigley Field just last week when they won a decisive Game 3 in a Wild Card Series<\/a> matchup with the San Diego Padres.<\/p>\n Now they just need to deliver at home again.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re in the same spot we\u2019ve been in when we\u2019ve had our backs against the wall,\u201d Crow-Armstrong said. \u201cWe\u2019re always looking forward to playing more baseball at Wrigley. That\u2019s why you\u2019ve got to win three (games). So we\u2019re definitely looking forward to going home, playing in front of our home crowd, working to win two and bring it back here.\u201d<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n