Welcome to The Opener, where every weekday morning you’ll get a fresh, topical column to start your day from one of SI.com’s MLB writers.
The Cubs began Wednesday’s game against the Brewers with seven first-inning runs and ended it with infielder Eric Sogard on the mound. The intervening baseball played out like a Chicago horror show.
The Brewers turned a 7-0 deficit into a 15-7 victory, running their winning streak to eight games while handing the Cubs their sixth consecutive loss. The win puts Milwaukee six games clear in first place in the NL Central, while bringing to an end what’s been a trying month for Chicago.