Chicago Cubs in the playoffs: Recapping their NL Division Series loss in 5 games to the Milwaukee Brewers

The blue and gold streamers fell onto American Family Field as the Milwaukee Brewers rushed out of the dugout following the final out of the Chicago Cubs’ 3-1 loss in Game 5 of the National League Division Series that abruptly ended a journey that started eight months ago.

While their postseason drought ended, the Cubs face another offseason trying to figure out how to make a run to the World Series. Putting the season in a big-picture context became difficult postgame for the emotionally-raw Cubs players. Nico Hoerner was among the players, coaches and staff to initially linger in the visitors dugout staring at the Brewers’ on-field hugs and cheers they fully expected to be partaking in.

“The last out of a season is a strange thing when” — Hoerner said, pausing to collect his emotions — “you’ve done nothing but prepare, prepare, prepare and feeling your best and feel like you have so much more to give but there isn’t a next thing. I think that really stings.”

Here’s how the best-of-five series unfolded.

Game 1: Brewers 9, Cubs 3

For roughly 15 minutes at American Family Field, the Cubs put a damper on the electric vibes.

Michael Busch’s sixth leadoff home run this year gave the Cubs a quick lead against the Milwaukee Brewers and right-hander Freddy Peralta. The faction of Cubs fans among the crowd of 42,678 made themselves heard.

If only the game ended after the top of the first inning.

The Brewers blitzed left-hander Matthew Boyd for six runs in the bottom of the frame and ended his day after the veteran recorded only two outs. The Brewers tacked on three more runs in the second, and the Cubs couldn’t recover in a 9-3 loss in Game 1. Read more here.

• Column: First-inning flop leaves Matthew Boyd in good company in Cubs postseason history
• Game 1 notes: Aaron Civale saves the bullpen with effective relief outing in loss
• Cubs look ahead after blowout: ‘It’s one loss. It doesn’t count for more, how you lose.’
• Column: Will a day off help the Cubs? NLDS takeaways while looking for playoff fever in Milwaukee.

Game 2: Brewers 7, Cubs 3

Shota Imanaga stared in disbelief, watching how one swing shifted the momentum.

“Too many home run balls” has been the theme of Imanaga’s pitching performance over the last three months. Even working with a three-run lead before he threw a pitch didn’t change the concerning trend. Another doomed first-inning sequence might haunt the Cubs and their dreams of a deep postseason run.

“With the team putting up three runs, I ruined the game,” Imanaga said through interpreter Edwin Stanberry. “There’s a lot of frustration within myself.” Read more here.

• Column: Is beating the Cubs — and manager Craig Counsell — the Brewers’ World Series?
• Game 2 notes: Ex-Sox Andrew Vaughn’s momentum-turning HR — and meet ‘godfather of playoff experience’
• Brewers rookie Jacob Misiorowski hits 104.3 mph while throwing 3 innings of shutout relief

Game 3: Cubs 4, Brewers 3

One week ago, Brad Keller tried to overdo it in the wild-card series’ biggest moment.

Keller did not intend to let that happen again in another elimination game. Called on during the eighth inning in Game 3 on Wednesday with the Cubs facing a must-win game in the NLDS, Keller, like so many times this year, delivered.

Keller entered needing one out to maintain the Cubs’ one-run lead, only to issue a four-pitch walk to load the bases for the Milwaukee Brewers. He then fell behind 1-0 to Jake Bauers, who already had burned the Cubs for an RBI single and solo home run to singlehandedly chip away at the Cubs’ lead. Keller appeared unfazed. He froze Bauers with an in-zone fastball and changeup and put him away on a 97.1 mph fastball that had the 40,737 fans roaring.

Keller came back out for the ninth and threw 11 pitches to retire the Brewers and lock down the Cubs’ 4-3 victory to force Game 4 at Wrigley Field. Read more here.

• Column: Baseball gods blessed Wrigley Field with perfect fall weather — and a wild Cubs win to force Game 4
• Game 3 notes: Jameson Taillon escapes pair of jams — and why the infield fly rule wasn’t applied
• Meet die-hard Cubs fan Sam Bernero, whose candid Wrigley Field photos help connect players and fans

Game 4: Cubs 6, Brewers 0

Ian Happ’s playoff moment had been nine years in the making.

The longest-tenured Cubs player had endured a rough return to the postseason. Entering Thursday’s elimination game, Happ had only two hits and struck out 11 times in 21 at-bats.

Happ seized his moment in the first inning of Game 4, pouncing on Brewers starter Freddy Peralta’s 1-1 fastball and depositing it into the Wrigley FIeld right-field bleachers for a go-ahead three-run home run, setting off the 41,770 fans like a firecracker.

For the third time this postseason, the battle-tested Cubs staved off their season ending. Thanks to Happ’s blast and a masterful performance by left-hander Matthew Boyd, the Cubs’ 6-0 win over the Brewers sets up a win-or-go-home Game 5 in the NLDS. Read more here.

• Column: Cubs flip the script on the Brewers — and now it’s back to Milwaukee for a spot in the NLCS
• Game 4 notes: Matt Shaw breaks out with 2 hits — including key RBI single to help extend series
• Column: Return of Cubs postseason baseball to Wrigley Field shows the true star of the show

Game 5: Brewers 3, Cubs 1

A resilient Cubs had fought their way to a fourth elimination game this postseason, battling back from being down 2-0 in the NLDS against their rival to the north with a chance to extend their season.

But the Cubs had just four hits in their season-ending defeat to the Brewers, who won their first postseason series since 2018. Seiya Suzuki’s game-tying home run in the second inning was all the Cubs offense could produce against five Brewers relievers while the hosts used three two-out solo home runs to finish them off.

“I’m disappointed, I’m sad,” manager Craig Counsell said. “I think this team did a lot to honor the Chicago Cub uniform. In the big picture, that’s how I feel. “But what we did wrong tonight, that’s kind of what you’re stuck on. Why couldn’t we get anything going? It’s hard to get past that right now.” Read more here.

• Column: A boom-or-bust season is over. Now the Cubs must reflect on what needs to change.
• Cubs only ‘disrupted’ one inning and were limited to 4 hits in season-ending Game 5 loss

Regular-season rivalry

The Cubs went 7-6 against the Brewers during the regular season, outscoring Milwaukee 60-56. The NL Central rivals last played in August, when the Cubs won three times in a five-game series. Read more here.

• Cubs and Brewers know each other well — but postseason showdown is a 1st for division foes
• Column: Craig Counsell’s return to Milwaukee for NL Division Series magnifies an intense Cubs-Brewers rivalry

How we got here

The Cubs used stellar pitching, elite defense and a methodical offensive approach with timely hits to beat the Padres to advance to the NL Division Series against the Brewers, their division rivals and owners of baseball’s best record.

The Cubs were 6-13 at Wrigley Field in elimination games — including 0-3 in winner-takes-all games — before their Game 3 win. Those previous win-or-go-home losses occurred in the 1945 World Series, 2003 NL Championship Series and 2018 wild-card game. They were 4-4 overall in such games, with their last win coming in the 2017 NLDS at the Nationals. Read more here.

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