Sept. 1 (UPI) — Alex Bregman hit three home runs in a dismantling of the Milwaukee Brewers to help the Chicago Cubs set a National League record for blasts in a calendar month.
Bregman’s trio of bombs also helped the Cubs set a single-game franchise record for homers in a single game — with nine — in a 17-3 mauling Monday in Chicago. The Cubs clubbed a National League record 62 long balls in August.
“It was a good month,” Bregman told reporters. “Obviously, driving the baseball up and down the lineup. But I think just the quality of at-bat in the second half has been super consistent up and down the lineup.
“It’s been tough on opposing teams.”
Bregman went 3 for 6 with four RBIs and three runs scored for the Cubs. The veteran third baseman, who leads MLB with 720 plate appearances, pushed his season homer total to 23.
Shortstop Nico Hoerner, second baseman Matt Shaw, catcher Carson Kelly and outfielders Tyrone Taylor, Seiya Suzuki and Michael Conforto also homered for the Cubs.
“That’s great, we set a record,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “The guys aren’t gonna stop hitting. … We’ll take it.”
Taylor started the slugfest with a 419-foot, two-run homer off Brewers starter Kyle Harrison in the bottom of the first inning. Hoerner hit a 393-foot solo shot off Harrison in the next at-bat. The Cubs took a 4-0 lead on an RBI single from Kelly later in the inning and never looked back.
Bregman took Harrison deep for his first homer of the night in the bottom of the second. That 376-foot, two-run blast gave the Cubs a six-run edge.
Suzuki hit the Cubs’ fourth homer with a 408-foot solo long ball in the fourth. Bregman hit a 395-foot solo shot in the next at-bat. The Cubs plated their ninth run when relief pitcher Chad Patrick walked designated hitter Miguel Amaya with the bases loaded in the same frame.
Shortstop Cooper Pratt finally put the Brewers on the scoreboard with a 394-foot, two-run homer in the top of the seventh. Kelly proceeded to hit a 375-foot solo homer to lead off the bottom of the frame for a 10-2 Cubs lead.
Shaw belted a 416-foot, two-run homer later in that inning. Taylor gave the Cubs a 13-2 lead with an RBI single four at-bats later.
First baseman Andrew Vaughn brought in the Brewers’ final run with an RBI single in the top of the eighth. Conforto responded with a 400-foot, three-run bomb in the bottom of the eighth. Bregman clubbed a 397-foot solo homer two at-bats later for the final run of the night.
Harrison allowed 10 hits and nine runs to drop to 10-4 this season. Cubs starter Clay Holmes allowed five hits over six scoreless innings to improve to 6-6.
Taylor went 4 for 6 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Kelly and Suzuki joined Bregman with three hits apiece in the victory. Pratt, who went 2 for 4 with two RBIs and a run scored, was the only Brewers player to log more than one hit in the loss.
The Cubs (78-60), who entered Monday with losses in four of their previous five games, remain seven games behind the division-leading Brewers (85-53) in the National League Central. They remain in first place in the wild card standings.
The Cubs lead MLB with 196 home runs, 1,205 hits, 742 runs scored, 701 RBIs, 583 walks, a .341 on-base percentage, .434 slugging percentage and a .775 on-base plus slugging percentage. Their +141 run differential trails only the Brewers (+163) and Los Angeles Dodgers (+153).
The Cubs will host the Brewers, who own MLB’s best record, in the second game of the four-game series at 7:40 p.m. EDT Tuesday at Wrigley Field.