Victor Caratini hit a go-ahead solo homer in the eighth inning on Thursday, helping the host Milwaukee Brewers overcome squandering a three-run lead in a 6-5 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Thursday.
After Chicago's Yan Gomes tied things with a two-out, two-run homer in the top of the eighth off J.C. Mejia (1-0), Milwaukee's own reserve catcher burned his former team by clubbing a shot well into the right-field seats off Michael Fulmer (0-5). Caratini's homer was his fifth of the season.
Joel Payamps worked around a lead-off single by Trey Mancini in the ninth inning to record his third save for the Brewers, who avoided a third straight defeat to split this four-game set.
Milwaukee entered the fifth with a 1-0 deficit before it finally got to Cubs All-Star Marcus Stroman for all four runs he allowed. Joey Wiemer tied the game with a two-out RBI single to left field, then Christian Yelich barely got the ball over the left-field wall with two men on for his 11th homer that gave the Brewers a 4-1 lead.
Chicago's Cody Bellinger, who had four hits to extend his hitting streak to 12 games, cranked a two-run homer in sixth off Freddy Peralta. However, Yelich drew a walk in the seventh, stole second and went to third on catcher Gomes' throwing error before scoring via Willy Adames' fly ball to left to give the Brewers a 5-3 lead.
Gomes' two-run homer in the eighth inning leveled things for the Cubs, who have lost eight of their last 11 games.
Stroman, who also yielded four hits and four walks while fanning six in five innings, has given up 12 earned runs over 14 innings in losing three straight starts.
Peralta, meanwhile, allowed three runs, four hits and three walks while matching a season high with 10 strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings for the Brewers.
Chicago opened the scoring in all four games of the set. It did so in the second inning Thursday through back-to-back doubles from Christopher Morel and Bellinger.
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