Brewers lead by 4½ after bashing Cubs
CHICAGO — The Milwaukee Brewers weren’t happy when the Chicago Cubs decided to postpone a game in May on what turned out to be a totally dry afternoon — especially since the decision cost them a day off.
The Brewers also weren’t pleased the makeup game was scheduled for a 1:20 p.m. Central start on Thursday after they played a night game in Milwaukee on Wednesday.
So they took out their frustrations on the field.
Ryan Braun homered to ignite a seven-run third inning and the Brewers beat the Cubs 11-2 for their fourth consecutive victory.
Braun went 1 for 2 with 2 walks and 2 RBI before being lifted following the sixth because of the lopsided score. Domingo Santana had 4 hits and 2 RBI and Jesus Aguilar added three hits and an RBI.
Milwaukee starter Zach Davies (10-4) allowed 2 runs and 5 hits in 6 innings for the victory.
“I think as a team we tried to put it on them early and it kind of showed right out of the gate,” Davies said.
“Off days are precious,” Braun said. “You never want to give those away. If you’re going to play on an off day, it’s nice to
get a win.”
Willson Contreras homered for the Cubs, who have not won consecutive games since a three-game winning streak June 18-20.
Kyle Schwarber went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts in his return after a two-week stint in the minor leagues.
Cubs starter Mike Montgomery (1-6) gave up 7 runs and 6 hits in 2 innings.
“Honestly, there’s not a lot to talk about,” Chicago Manager Joe Maddon said. “That game goes in the trash can as quickly as any game we’ve ever played. We just didn’t pitch early, and it’s difficult to fight back from that moment.”
Milwaukee took a 2-0 lead in the first on RBI hits by Santana and Hernan Perez. Braun’s two-run home run with one out in the third made it 4-0.
Montgomery was yanked after giving up singles to the next three batters and left trailing 5-0.
Jack Leathersich came on and walked the first three batters he faced — the last two forcing in runs. A sacrifice fly by Jonathan Villar made it 8-0 and Santana capped the rally with an RBI double to make it 9-0.
The Cubs loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the third, but managed one run — on Kris Bryant groundout. Contreras’ home run in the fourth made it 9-2.
The Brewers got both runs back in the fifth to thwart any thoughts of a comeback.
Many are waiting for the Cubs to turn it on and take command in the NL Central, but the surprising Brewers have opened a 4½-game lead and are guaranteed to hold the top spot at the All-Star break.
“Certainly, we’re not taking anything for granted,” Braun said. “We understand how great they are, how talented they are. But the deeper we get in this thing and remain in the same position, the more confident we become as a group.”
The Cubs sent Schwarber to AAA Iowa to work on shortening the movements in his swing.
“He’s done a real nice job, made a few adjustments in his approach, a few small mechanical tweaks,” President Theo Epstein said. “He feels really confident, looks great at the plate. This was more about a reset for him than a rebuilding.”
Said Schwarber: “I just think everything got a little bit too big for me. It was just really focusing on some little things. It wasn’t drastic.”
CARDINALS 4, MARLINS 3 Luke Voit hit a home run and drove in three runs, and host St. Louis beat Miami. Voit, who also doubled, and third baseman Jedd Gyorko each had two hits.
REDS 6, ROCKIES 3 Sal Romano tossed five innings to earn his first major league victory, and visiting Cincinnati beat Colorado. Romano (1-1), called up before the game to make his second career start, allowed 6 hits and 2 runs to help the Reds split the four-game series.
PIRATES 6, PHILLIES 3 Gregory Polanco had 4 hits with 1 home run and 2 RBI, and Josh Bell homered, doubled and drove in three runs to lead Pittsburgh to a victory over host Philadelphia. Andrew McCutchen added three hits with two doubles for the Pirates, who have won three consecutive. Aaron Altherr had two hits and two RBI for the Phillies. Chad Kuhl (3-6) allowed 3 runs — 2 earned — and 6 hits in a career-high 7 innings. Juan Nicasio pitched a perfect ninth for his first save. Bell made up for his third-inning defensive gaffe with a two-run home run in the fourth that gave Pittsburgh a 2-1 lead. He then broke a 3-3 tie in the eighth with a double to right field off Joaquin Benoit (1-3) that scored the go-ahead run.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
BLUE JAYS 7, ASTROS 4 Russell Martin homered and matched a season high with three
hits, Josh Donaldson broke out of his slump with a go-ahead single and host Toronto beat Houston. Francisco Liriano (5-4) pitched six solid innings and Roberto Osuna converted his 21st consecutive save opportunity.
RAYS 4, RED SOX 1 Wilson Ramos homered and drove in three against Chris Sale despite the All-Star’s record-setting performance, rookie Jake Faria remained unbeaten and Tampa Bay beat visiting Boston. Sale (11-4) struck out 12 while giving up 4 runs and 7 hits in 7 innings.
TWINS 6, ORIOLES 4 Eduardo Escobar’s two-run triple highlighted a six-run third inning as host Minnesota rallied for a victory over Baltimore. Jose Berrios (8-2) gave up 4 runs and 7 hits in 6 innings. Tyler Duffey, Taylor Rogers and Brandon Kintzler each pitched a scoreless inning with Kintzler getting his 23rd save.
INTERLEAGUE
TIGERS 6, GIANTS 2 Anibal Sanchez pitched six strong innings, and Dixon Machado hit his first career home run to lift Detroit over visiting San Francisco. Sanchez (1-0) earned his first victory since Aug. 23, allowing 2 runs and 5 hits with 8 strikeouts and no walks.
INDIANS 11, PADRES 2 Edwin Encarnacion homered and matched a career high with four hits, All-Star Jose Ramirez hit a home run and had three RBI, and host Cleveland, playing its third consecutive game without Manager Terry Francona, beat San Diego.