Brewers’ wives beat Cubs’ wives in charity softball game, raising more than $8K

The wives and girlfriends of Cubs players stepped to the plate to raise money for Cubs Charities on Tuesday.

Before the Cubs faced the Brewers in Milwaukee, the two team’s significant others played one another in a charity softball game at Helfaer Field, located just outside of Miller Park. What was on the line? Bragging rights and pride.

While Tuesday night’s victory over the Brewers put the Cubs in first place in the National League Central, the Cubs’ wives couldn’t get the job done themselves.

The first inning ended with the umpires calling the “mercy rule” after the Brewers exploded with five runs.

“We kept saying, ‘You guys, it’s for the kids. OK, this is for Cubs Charities, it’s for a great cause,” Cubs left-hander Mike Montgomery’s girlfriend, Stephanie Duchaine, said. “But of course — especially in Milwaukee — we wanted to be competitive. So, we definitely felt the nerves. But like I said, in the end, it’s for a great cause, you can’t be too nervous about it.”

Majority of the Cubs players, who were wearing the faces of their girlfriends and wives on their T-shirts, watched the game with their children.

Cubs outfielder Albert Almora’s wife, Krystal Almora, who was playing while three months pregnant, said it was pretty cool to have the reverse roles during the game.

The Brewers’ wives defeated the Cubs 10-3.

“We may not have won,” said Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant’s wife, Jessica Bryant, who had to sit out due to a lingering knee injury. “But we looked pretty amazing and raised money for a great cause. I count that as a win.”

Cubs Charities executive director Alicia Gonzalez estimated the game raised more than $8,000 off ticket sales alone. She said the final number will be announced after they calculate how much money was raised on raffle prizes.

All proceeds from the game will be equally distributed among the Cubs’ and Brewers’ Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) programs. RBI is MLB’s charity designed to promote baseball and softball in urban environments.

Although this was the first game between the two teams’ wives, Duchaine and Almora expect to be back next year.

“We’ve been wanting to do this to benefit Cubs Charities, to benefit RBI [and] to give back to city of Chicago,” Duchaine said. “And to be able to do that in this sort of way, it’s an incredible day … So if we could do it every year, I’m in.”

Almora would also like to get revenge next year.

“That was on my mind in the last inning,” Almora said, “this isn’t over. This is going to happen again next year and we’re going to come back and give it our all again.”

Only next time, Almora hopes the outcome will favor the Cubs.