Anthony Rizzo

Brewers squander opportunities in close loss to Cubs

Published Jul. 24, 2016 6:29 p.m. ET

foxsports

MILWAUKEE -- One of the National League's top left-handed relievers, Will Smith rarely lets down the Milwaukee Brewers.

It made Smith's meltdown on the mound against the Chicago Cubs so surprising on Sunday.

Anthony Rizzo hit a three-run double off Smith in a five-run seventh, and the Brewers squandered a four-run lead in a 6-5 loss to Chicago.

The Cubs broke through against the Brewers bullpen after struggling with runners in scoring position against starter Junior Guerra. That changed after Smith took over for Guerra with one out in the seventh.

Tommy La Stella, who went 3 for 3, had a RBI double before Smith (1-3) walked Kris Bryant to load the bases for Rizzo. He hit a 2-2 slider down in the zone into right-center to clear the bases and give Chicago a 5-4 lead.

Rizzo had some hits against Smith in the past, "and he's also struck him out a bunch. It's a big spot in the game, for sure," manager Craig Counsell said. "But I'm not taking Will out. That's his hitter."

A key member of the Brewers bullpen for three seasons, Smith had a 1.93 ERA going into Sunday. The ERA ballooned to 3.86 after Smith failed to record an out while giving up five runs on three hits, a walk and an error.

The blown lead overshadowed another solid start by 31-year-old rookie Guerra, who allowed five hits, four walks and one unearned run over 6 1/3 innings.

"Maybe his stuff wasn't quite as crisp as it's been in the past, and still, he did everything he possibly needed to do to have a good game," Counsell said.

The Brewers left the retractable roof at Miller Park open on a sticky afternoon, with the game-time temperature at 90 degrees. The contest lasted more than 4 hours.

"It was very hot, kind of reminded me of playing in Venezuela," Guerra said through an interpreter. "But you've just got to find a way to make an adjustment and throw strikes."

The Brewers built a 4-0 lead, stealing six bases in a game for the first time since May 13, 2013. Ryan Braun and Jonathan Villar each had two steals off Lester by the bottom of the second.

The rally made a winner of reliever Joe Nathan in his first game in the majors since April 2015. He was activated off the 60-day disabled list earlier Sunday, completing his comeback from Tommy John surgery.

Nathan gave up a leadoff triple to Villar in the sixth and a walk before striking out 3-4-5 hitters Braun, Jonathan Lucroy and Chris Carter.

"It was opening day for me today, and the adrenaline was . . . through the roof. It was almost too much," Nathan said.

Ben Zobrist's RBI single scored Rizzo in the seventh and gave the Cubs a needed insurance run after closer Hector Rondon gave up a homer to Kirk Nieuwenhuis with two outs in the ninth to draw Milwaukee within a run.

Rondon struck out Jake Elmore looking for his 18th save.

Brewers: Will Middlebrooks left the game before the top of the fourth a lower right leg strain. The third baseman popped out in the bottom of the third.

Brewers: Chase Anderson (4-10) opens a four-game series against his former club, the Arizona Diamondbacks. The righty has struggled over his past six outings, going 0-4 with a 9.13 ERA.