CHICAGO (AP) -- One strike away from a five-run victory, the Milwaukee Brewers couldn't finish off the Cubs.

Milwaukee's colossal ninth-inning collapse Wednesday featured two errors and four walks and produced the latest zany chapter in the Brewers' always-eventful rivalry with the Chicago Cubs.

The Cubs tied the game with five unearned runs in the ninth and then won it 9-8 on Willie Greene's two-out single in the 11th.

"It was painful both physically and mentally for me. A crazy game," said Chicago's Mark Grace, whose ninth-inning sprint to first on a potential game-ending grounder prompted a high throw and allowed the Cubs to tie the game.

"We were four outs from a pitching gem from Kevin Tapani and then they were one out from a five-run victory," said Grace, who sustained what might be a serious hamstring injury in the ninth. "It's just pretty typical of the Cubs and Brewers."

Ricky Gutierrez walked to lead off the bottom of the 11th. Two outs later, after a wild pitch from Valerio De Los Santos (0-2), Glenallen Hill was walked intentionally. Greene then hit a 3-2 pitch to right for the victory.

"We didn't give up. We know how Wrigley Field is," Greene said. "We know you can give up a lot of runs here."

Trailing 8-3 entering the bottom of the ninth, the Cubs were on their way to a painful loss.

They'd led 3-1 behind strong pitching from Tapani before Jeromy Burnitz hit a three-run homer in the eighth. Milwaukee added four more in the ninth for a five-run cushion.

Reliever Jim Bruske retired the first two batters in the bottom of the inning before Jeff Reed walked after falling behind 0-2.

Damon Buford reached when first baseman Kevin Barker lost his popup in the sun for an error. Pinch-hitter Henry Rodriguez, hobbled and unable to start after fouling a pitch off his toe Tuesday night, followed with a three-run homer that made it 8-6.

Enter reliever Bob Wickman, who was 4-for-4 on saves this season. He walked Eric Young, Gutierrez and Sammy Sosa, loading the bases, and Grace hit a routine bouncer to shortstop Mark Loretta -- who had only one error coming in. Loretta's high throw pulled Barker off the bag as Young and Gutierrez scored, the latter sliding around Henry Blanco to make it 8-8.

"It just definitely deflated our balloon in the ninth when it seemed like nothing would go our way," said Loretta, who added he didn't have a good grip on the throw. "Just when you think you got it nailed down, they come back."

Grace is not known for speed.

"I was going as hard as I could," he said. "Sometimes you go a little faster than a 35-year-old body will let you. I was trying to find another gear."

Still, if Barker caught the pop or if Loretta made a good throw, the Brewers win.

"It's a tough loss, no question," Milwaukee manager Davey Lopes said. "It was emotional. We had a situation where we needed to get one out and we couldn't do it. Wickman got the ground ball he needed, but we couldn't finish it."

Sosa, Grace and Greene all homered in the fourth inning off Jason Bere to give the Cubs a 3-1 lead. Tapani was sailing into eighth before Tyler Houston led off with an infield single for Milwaukee's fourth hit. Two outs later, Loretta walked and Tapani was pulled in favor of Felix Heredia.

Jose Hernandez, who had struck out three straight times against Tapani, was on deck, but the Cubs instead pitched to Burnitz and he hit a three-run homer -- his fourth homer in five games.

"Tapani was at 121 pitches and Heredia had done an outstanding job against left-handers. That matchup, I'd do it again," Cubs manager Don Baylor said

Milwaukee then made it 8-3 in the ninth on Charlie Hayes' two-run single, James Mouton's sacrifice fly and Loretta's RBI single.

Tapani allowed a fourth-inning homer to Loretta and tied his career high by striking out 10. Tapani gave up three runs and four hits in 7 2/3 innings.

Rick Aguilera (1-0) got the win with a perfect top of the 11th.

Game notes
Grace, who had to leave the game, will be examined Thursday to determine to extent of his hamstring injury. If it is torn, he will go on the DL. ... Sosa, who has 13 homers to trail Barry Bonds by one in the NL, has 20 homers off the Brewers in the last two seasons-plus. He also has connected three times in his career off Bere, hitting No. 56 off the right-hander when he was pitching for the Reds in 1998. Last year after Bere joined the Brewers, he served up Sosa's 60th. ... The Cubs and Brewers have now played 27 times since Milwaukee went to the NL in 1998, and seven of those games have gone to extra innings. The Cubs lead the series 14-13.