Brewers 3-1 Cubs Game Summary (Oct. 11, 2025)

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Ending a streak of frustrating playoff performances earned the Milwaukee Brewers a new nickname from their manager.

Pat Murphy has referred to his team as the “Average Joes.” It is an allusion to their status as a small market club and the lack of big names.

But on Saturday, after the Brewers beat the Chicago Cubs 3-1 in the fifth and decisive game of their National League Division Series, Murphy decided it was time for a promotion.

“You can call them the Average Joes,” Murphy said. “But I say they’re the Above-Average Joes.”

Most of the team contributed to overcoming the Cubs, their bitter rivals in the Central Division.

Andrew Vaughn hit a tiebreaking home run in the fourth inning, while Venezuelan William Contreras and Brice Turang each added homers to advance to the National League Championship Series.

“Every single one of these guys was needed in the locker room, and they did it,” Turang said.

Milwaukee won with an all-hands-on-deck pitching approach during the final game against Chicago. Trevor Megill, Jacob Misiorowski, Aaron Ashby, Chad Patrick and Abner Uribe combined to allow only four hits.

The Brewers left their recent history behind by winning the fifth and decisive game of their division series.

Milwaukee, making its seventh playoff appearance in the last eight years, recorded its first victory in a postseason series since sweeping the Colorado Rockies in the 2018 divisional. The Brewers were on the verge of their second World Series appearance in history that year before losing Game 7 of the National League Championship Series at home to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Now they will have another confrontation in the same instances with the Dodgers, who beat the Phildelphia Phillies in four games. The first duel is scheduled for Monday in Milwaukee.

After losing their Dominican slugger and shortstop Willy Adames in free agency and trading for star closer Devin Williams last winter, the Brewers finished the regular season with the best record in the majors, 97-65.

They have reached the National League Championship Series nine months after the death of American Bob Uecker, who broadcast Brewers games for 54 seasons and is probably more synonymous with the franchise than any player.

As the Brewers posed for a postgame photo on the field, they held a banner in front of them with Uecker’s signature.

“It was important for these guys to finish the job,” Murphy said. “And they know Ueck is smiling.”

The Brewers’ victory was particularly sweet for Milwaukee fans because it was against their biggest rival and eliminated Cubs manager Craig Counsell.

Counsell grew up in the Milwaukee area, played for the Brewers and became the winningest manager in team history until he left for Chicago.

In the two seasons since Counsell’s departure, Brewers fans have booed every mention of his name when the Cubs have visited American Family Field. They did it again Saturday, although the sellout crowd appeared to include more Cubs fans than in Milwaukee’s home wins in the first two contests.

The Cubs forced a fifth game by winning two in a row at Wrigley Field. They were attempting to become the 11th team to erase a 2-0 deficit and win a best-of-five playoff series, something the New York Yankees last accomplished against the Cleveland Guardians in their 2017 American League Division Series.

“I’m disappointed. I’m sad,” Counsell said. “I think this team did a lot to honor the Chicago Cubs uniform. In the big picture, that’s how I feel.”

Home runs produced all the runs in this all-or-nothing game, and each of Milwaukee’s homers came with two outs.

Contreras hit a 389-foot shot to left-center field against Drew Pomeranz in the first inning. Vaughn found a 3-2 pitch from Colin Rea to send the ball over the left field wall to break a 1-1 tie.

Turang provided some insurance with a 416-foot shot to center field against Andrew Kittredge in the seventh.

Japan’s Seiya Suzuki greeted Misiorowski by sending a 101.4 mph fastball into the Cubs bullpen leading off the second, but that was the only run the rookie right-hander allowed in four innings.

After Suzuki’s home run, they didn’t score again.

Chicago’s biggest threat came when it put two runners on with no outs in the sixth against Ashby, who had thrown 32 pitches two nights earlier in Milwaukee’s Game 4 loss. Michael Busch singled leadoff before Ashby hit American Nico Hoerner with a pitch.

Ashby struck out Kyle Tucker fanning a 3-2 pitch for the first out. Patrick then came out of the bullpen and retired Suzuki on a fly ball to left field before Happ struck out looking.

“You set a goal to win the World Series every year,” Busch said. “If you fall short, it hurts, no matter what.”

For the Cubs, Venezuelan Moisés Ballesteros 1-0.

For the Brewers, Venezuelans Jackson Chourio 3-0, Contreras 4-1 with one run scored. Mexican-American Joey Ortiz 3-0.