CHICAGO (AP) — Michael Busch sparked a fast start for the Chicago Cubs — again.
Busch hit a leadoff homer in Chicago’s four-run first inning in Game 3 of the team’s NL Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday. He became the first player in major league history with multiple leadoff homers in a single postseason series, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
The 27-year-old Busch drove a full-count cutter from Quinn Priester deep to right-center, tying the game at 1. It was the first baseman’s team-high third homer of the postseason.
Busch also hit a leadoff shot against Freddy Peralta in in Game 1 on Saturday. The Cubs scored three times in the first inning of Game 2, but the Brewers rallied for .
The matchup of NL Central rivals is the first postseason series in which both teams scored in the first inning in each of the first three games. Milwaukee has outscored Chicago 10-8 in the first so far.
After Busch on Wednesday, the Cubs loaded the bases on a single and two walks. Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a tiebreaking two-run single with two out, and Ian Happ scored on a wild pitch from Nick Mears.
Chicago had scored three or fewer runs in each of its last 13 postseason games, dating to a 9-8 victory at Washington in Game 5 of a 2017 NL Division Series.
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