The Milwaukee Brewers opened up an important series against the Chicago Cubs with a statement 9-3 win on Monday.

There were performances that made up the Brewers’ victory and a key takeaway from the first contest in this three-game set:

When it comes to remaining healthy, Brewers outfielder/designated hitter Christian Yelich has not had it easy.

After a month-long stint on the Injured List due to a left adductor strain, Yelich finally made his return on May 12, only to end up missing four more games afterward due to back soreness. However, he got back on the field against the Minnesota Twins on Sunday, and now, he is showing flashes of why he has an MVP on his resume.

After hitting a home run against the Twins on Sunday, Yelich went deep again in the top of the second inning against the Cubs to put the Brewers on the board first at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Then, after Milwaukee went up 8-0, the Cubs looked to be forming a rally by scoring three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.

It did not matter. Yelich provided his team some extra insurance with an RBI double in the top of the sixth. By the end of the night, the 34-year-old, three-time All-Star finished 2-for-4 at the plate with two RBIs and a walk, and his only blemish was a strikeout.

After Sunday’s loss to the Twins, Brewers manager Pat Murphy stated his belief that with the way left fielder/first baseman Jake Bauers was swinging the bat, he should have had two home runs.

On Monday, Bauers delivered.

In the top of the fifth inning, Bauers took Chicago starting pitcher Shota Imanaga deep to right field for a three-run home run, and his blast ended Imanaga’s night. Prior to that, he notched an RBI single in the top of the fourth to give Milwaukee a 2-0 advantage. 

By the end of the evening, Bauers had contributed two hits in four at-bats and led the Brewers with four RBIs.

In Saturday’s 2-1 win over Minnesota, Murphy and his coaching staff relied on Logan Henderson and Chad Patrick to carry the Brewers on the mound.

Against the Cubs, they employed the same strategy, just with different arms.

The game began with right-hander Brandon Sproat on the mound, and he went 4 ⅔ innings with five strikeouts while allowing three hits, three earned runs, and three walks. Then, Shande Drohan took over.

Drohan finished the game, and through 4 ⅓ shutout innings, he struck out five batters while only allowing four hits, shutting the door on the rally the Cubs tried to build.

In the beginning of the season, the Brewers roared to an 8-2 start and seized first place in the National League Central Division. Then, injuries and losing streaks saw them tumble to the bottom, and it would take a lot of work to climb out of that hole in a division where no team was playing below .500.

Meanwhile, the Cubs began to pick up momentum, and it led to their claim of first place. However, the Brewers got healthier and began picking up momentum of their own.

It is still early in the season, but Milwaukee’s win on Monday was a testament to its strength, resilience and talent. Now, the Brewers sit just a half game behind the Cubs for first place in the division, and if they play like they did to open the series over the next two games, it will be theirs in no time.

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