The Milwaukee Brewers' Jackson Chourio, left, slides safely into second with a double as Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner makes a late tag during the first inning Thursday in Chicago. (AP photo)

CHICAGO — Isaac Collins hit a three-run homer, rookie Caleb Durbin added a two-run drive and the Milwaukee Brewers held off the Chicago Cubs 8-7 on Thursday afternoon.

Rhys Hoskins lofted a solo shot and Christian Yelich, Jackson Chourio and Joey Ortiz had two hits apiece to help the Brewers close within 5 1/2 games of first-place Chicago in the NL Central.

Pete Crow-Armstrong lined his 20th home run, and Dansby Swanson and Ian Happ also went deep for the Cubs before a season-high crowd of 41,078 on a breezy afternoon at Wrigley Field.

Chicago nearly came back from a five-run deficit, but Trevor Megill worked around a walk in the ninth for his 16th save.

Freddy Peralta (7-4) allowed three runs and two hits in five innings for the win.

Jameson Taillon (7-4) was tagged for five runs and eight hits in four innings after winning his five previous starts.

Crow-Armstrong’s line shot to right field in the first gave Chicago a 2-1 lead.

Hoskins’ solo drive and Durbin’s two-run homer put Milwaukee ahead 4-2 in the second.

The Brewers upped it to 5-2 in the third before Swanson’s 14th homer cut it to 5-3 in the fourth.

Collins connected on his second homer in two games in the fifth, extending Milwaukee’s lead to 8-3. Happ’s two-run drive in the seventh made it 8-5.

The Cubs closed to 8-7 in the eighth, scoring on Carson Kelly’s RBI groundout and Nico Hoerner’s infield single against reliever Abner Uribe.