Vaughn’s Slam Lifts Brewers Past Cubs 9–3
Andrew Vaughn delivered a grand slam and drove in a career-high six runs on Tuesday night, leading the Milwaukee Brewers to a 9–3 victory over the visiting Chicago Cubs at American Family Field.
Right-hander Quinn Priester earned his ninth consecutive decision, improving to 10–2 on the season. He pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on eight hits with three strikeouts and two walks. Aaron Ashby finished the game with 3 1/3 innings of one-run relief to notch his second save. The win gave the Brewers a two-game lead over the Cubs in the National League Central and marked their second straight victory in the series.
The decisive moment came in the sixth inning. After the Brewers loaded the bases with one out against Cubs reliever Ryan Pressly—thanks to two walks and a defensive error—Vaughn crushed the first pitch of the at-bat 409 feet to left-center field. The blast, Vaughn’s 10th homer of the season, extended Milwaukee’s lead to 9–2.
Vaughn also contributed earlier in the game with a sacrifice fly and an RBI single. Since being traded from the Chicago White Sox in mid-June in exchange for pitcher Aaron Civale and being called up from Triple-A Nashville following Rhys Hoskins’ thumb injury, Vaughn has tallied five home runs and 21 RBIs in just 15 games with Milwaukee. That matches his home run total with the White Sox this season, where he drove in 19 runs over 48 games.
The Brewers began pulling away in the fifth inning, scoring three runs to take a 5–1 lead. Jackson Chourio tripled to open the frame but was pulled from the game with what the team later diagnosed as a right hamstring spasm. William Contreras followed with an RBI double to make it 3–1 and chase Cubs starter Colin Rea (8–5). Vaughn added a run-scoring single, and Caleb Durbin contributed with a sacrifice fly.
Nico Hoerner brought the Cubs closer with a solo homer—his fourth of the season—in the sixth inning to make it 5–2. Pete Crow-Armstrong added a sacrifice fly in the seventh, trimming the Brewers’ lead to 9–3.
Chicago had taken a brief 1–0 lead in the second inning when Crow-Armstrong walked and scored on Dansby Swanson’s fielder’s choice. Milwaukee answered in the bottom half with a sacrifice fly from Anthony Seigler to tie the game, and Vaughn’s fly ball in the third gave the Brewers a 2–1 lead they would not relinquish.
