Yelich, Hiura HR in 10th off Kimbrel, Brewers beat Cubs 5-3

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Thanks to Christian Yelich and Keston Hiura, the first round of anticipated matchups with recently acquired Cubs closer Craig Kimbrel went decidedly in favor of the Milwaukee Brewers.

Yelich and Hiura hit home runs in the 10th inning off Kimbrel to rally the Brewers past Chicago 5-3 on Saturday night, the Brewers’ second consecutive comeback win over the Cubs.

Yelich opened the 10th with his major league-leading 36th homer, tying it at 3. Pinch-hitter Tyler Saladino drew a walk from Kimbrel (0-2) and Hiura followed with his 11th homer, driving a breaking ball the opposite way for his first career walk-off.

“He’s a tremendous pitcher as he’s proven throughout his career. Once the Cubs signed him, we knew that we were going to get a lot of him,” Hiura said of Kimbrel. “He got me in a hole and I was just trying put the ball in play, but able to put the barrel on it.”

Hiura, the Brewers’ first-round draft choice in 2017, had five homers during his first 17-game stint with the Brewers, and his hit six since being called up again on June 28 — one day after the Cubs called up Kimbrel, who was signed as a free agent in early June.

“We came back, they snatched it back and we had a great 10th off Kimbrel and that’s not easy to do,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “I thought it was great. Keston’s ball was an absolute laser. That was a breaking ball that was an absolute laser. You don’t see a breaking ball hit like that. It shows you how special he is.”

The Brewers and Cubs are one game behind the NL Central-leading Cardinals.