Jake Fox draws bases loaded walk in 10th to give Cubs 2-1 victory over Brewers

Bases loaded walk gives Cubs win

CHICAGO — Jake Fox drew a bases-loaded walk off Mark DiFelice to force in the winning run with two outs in the 10th inning, and the Chicago Cubs beat the Milwaukee Brewers 2-1 on Friday.

Ryan Theriot singled off second baseman Craig Counsell’s glove with one out in the 10th and went to second on a wild pitch from DiFelice (4-1). After Theriot moved up on a fly ball, the Brewers intentionally walked Milton Bradley. With a 3-0 count on pinch-hitter Geovany Soto, DeFelice also walked him intentionally to load the bases.

Fox fouled off four straight pitches before walking on a close 3-2 pitch that had DiFelice extending his arms and walking toward plate umpire Bill Welke as the Cubs celebrated.

The Brewers threatened in the ninth when Cubs right fielder Milton Bradley lost Jason Kendall’s high fly in the sun — the ball hit him on the right arm — and fell for a double. Kevin Gregg (3-2) hit Counsell with a pitch, but Ryan Braun popped out to end the inning.

The Brewers took a 1-0 lead when Cubs starter Carlos Zambrano walked Corey Hart with the bases loaded in the fourth. The Cubs tied it in the fifth on Zambrano’s RBI single off Jeff Suppan.

Cubs center fielder Kosuke Fukudome made a great throw to cut down Suppan at the plate in the seventh and keep the game tied.

Suppan opened the seventh with a single before third baseman Fox fumbled Kendall’s bunt for an error, putting runners at first and second. With two outs, Prince Fielder hit a sharp single to center and Fukudome made a one-hop throw to Koyie Hill, who tagged Suppan to end the inning.

Zambrano, who hasn’t won in five starts since June 5, gave up five hits and a run in seven innings.

Suppan yielded four hits and a run in seven innings — his longest outing of the season.

The Brewers loaded the bases with no outs in the fourth after Counsell and Braun singled and Zambrano hit Fielder on the shoulder with a high inside pitch, but Milwaukee managed only one run when Zambrano walked Hart.

When Suppan drilled Derrek Lee on the left hip in the bottom of the inning, Welke warned both benches. Lee had seven RBIS and two homers Thursday night in the opener.

Bradley grounded a single to left to put runners at first and third, but J.J. Hardy fielded Fukudome’s hard grounder up the middle and started an inning-ending double play.

After Fox was hit with a pitch in the fifth, Mike Fontenot followed with a double over Braun’s outstretched glove in left to put runners at second and third. Zambrano, a switch-hitter batting right-handed against the right-handed Suppan, then dumped a one-out single into center to tie the game.

NOTES: Struggling Alfonso Soriano returned to the lineup after missing two games. He went 0 for 5 and is in an 0-for-12 slide. … The announced crowd was 41,204 on another cool day in July with game-time temperature 67 degrees and the wind blowing in.