Pete Crow-Armstrong hit his 39th homer, Kevin Gausman threw seven sharp innings and the Chicago Cubs beat the Milwaukee Brewers 2-1 on Thursday night.

Chicago salvaged a four-game series split against the division leaders to pull within eight games in the NL Central, while Ryan Rolison closed out the ninth for his second save.

Pete Crow-Armstrong said he always believed he could produce at this level after his two-run homer provided the only offense the Chicago Cubs needed in a 2-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday night.

Photos from the Chicago Cubs’ 9-4 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field on Sept. 1, 2026. The Milwaukee Brewers celebrate their victory after closing out the Chicago Cu

The Chicago Cubs enter at 78-62, while the Milwaukee Brewers sit at 87-53. Kevin Gausman (8-11, 4.52 ERA in 155.1 innings) takes the mound for the Cubs, opposed by Logan Henderson (9-2, 2.48 ERA in 76.1 innings).

Jackson Chourio’s four-hit performance helped Milwaukee turn Chicago’s 17-run series opener into a brief interruption rather than a genuine division challenge.

Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune {$}): Chicago Cubs outslug Milwaukee Brewers in 17-3 blowout win to cap NL record home run month. "Alex Bregman started August without a three-homer game in his career. Amid a scorching stretch, Bregman ended the month with his lifetime total sitting at two."