CHICAGO — Milwaukee Brewers infielder Caleb Durbin was able to thrill — and upset — a group of family and friends at Wrigley Field with one swing of the bat on Thursday.
The 25-year-old rookie from the Chicago suburb of Lake Forest, Illinois, hit a two-run homer in the second inning that put Milwaukee ahead en route to an 8-7 win over the Cubs. He connected in his second game at the North Side ballpark and fifth in Chicago, following three against the White Sox earlier this season.
While Durbin's relatives and old high school pals were rooting for him, many also were pulling for the Cubs.
''They joke around, like ‘Hey come on now,' " Durbin said. ''But yeah, it's a lot of fun knowing that I have family and friends that are, you know, pretty diehard Cubs fans who are here.''
Durbin's drive off Jameson Taillon reached the left-center bleachers and gave the Brewers a 4-2 lead.
Durbin has played in 54 games this season, 50 at third base. He's hitting .216 with three homers and 24 RBIs after taking a backdoor route to the major leagues.
Durbin was on the baseball, football and wrestling teams at Lake Forest High School, then went on to play NCAA Division III baseball at Washington University in St. Louis. At 5-foot-7 and 183 pounds, he has a wrestler's build — and tenacity.
''He's sure as hell low enough to the ground," manager Pat Murphy said. "Makes sense. I didn't think he was a long jumper.''