‘80 Cubs take 2 of 3 from ‘02 Brew Crew

A 3 game series between the 1980 Chicago Cubs and the 2002 Milwaukee Brewers saw the Cubs  take 2 out of 3 against the Brewers. Milwaukee manager,Joe Bukal, would try to get his team turned around at the expense of the Cubs, who  are trying to keep pace with the 1980 New York Mets.
Game 1
Cubs manager, Jim Walden, would send Willie Hernandez to the mound to open game 1, while Milwaukee would counter with Glendon Rusch. Both pitchers would pitch excellent ball as the game was scoreless through 4 innings. Milwaukee would open the scoring in the 5th  as Lenny Harris and Alex Ochoa would lead off the inning with singles. A ground ball to 3rd would mopier the runners up. Another slap back to the pitcher, that Hernandez would knock down allowed a run to score. Chicago would tie it int he bottom of the 6th as Dave Kingman would hit a solo shot to dead center. In the 7th, Chicago would score what would be the winning run. Tim Blackwell would lead with a bloop single to right. A Mike Vail double would score Blackwell and the Cubs would take a 2-1 lead.The 8th and 9th would belong to Bruce Sutter as he shut out the Brewers for his 3rd save.
Game 2
"Unbelievable, Rick is pitching like nobody's business....I'm guessing that 77 mile per hour fastball has the hitters fooled. Who knows how to account for the incredible start"....so said Manager Jim Walden in the post game press conference. Four straight starts and four straight complete game wins for Rick Reuschel as he tossed a 1 run, 6 hitter  at the Brewers. A 2 run 2nd would be all the Cubs needed as Lenny Randle and Mike Vail doubles followed by a passed ball and a Rick Reuschel single would score 2 runs and Chicago would go on to win it 4-1.
Game 3
The third game of the series moved back to Milwaukee. Mike Krukow for Chicago, and Jamey Wright for Milwaukee would be the game 3 starters. With the score 0-0 through 3, the Brewers would get successive hits by Richie Sexson, Geoff Jenkins and Tyler Houston to take a 2-0 lead. Chicago would tie on a 2 run home run by Bill Buckner, his 2nd of the year. It would stay tied at 2-2 until the bottom of the 11th. Bruce Sutter would strike out Alex Sanchez to start the inning, but Eric Young would follow with single into left for Milwaukee. An error by 3rd baseman Lenny Randle, on a routine grounder, would put runners on first and second. Richie Sexson would then put a Sutter fastball into the gap in right center for a game winning double and Milwaukee had a 3-2 win.
--submitted by Jim Walden--