Brewers Top Cubs, 5-3
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Junior Guerra struck out a career-high 11, Kirk Nieuwenhuis and Chris Carter homered and the Milwaukee Brewers slowed the Chicago Cubs with a 5-3 victory Thursday.
Jason Hammel (5-1) allowed four runs and five hits in six innings. He had been 8-0 with a 2.37 ERA in 11 career starts against the Brewers. Chicago, a big-league best 28-11, has lost three times in a four-game span for the first time this season. The Cubs scored seven runs in the three-game series.
Making his first start against Chicago, Guerra (3-0) gave up Dexter Fowler's 15th career leadoff homer but settled down to allow three runs and five hits in seven innings.
Tyler Thornburg got his first big league save, walking his first two batters before striking out Javier Baez, retiring Fowler on a flyout and fanning Jason Heyward.
Miguel Montero, in an 0-for-20 slide, had an RBI single in the second, but Nieuwenhuis scored on a wild pitch in the bottom half and Carter, a in 4-for-23 slump, tied the score with his 12th homer, a leadoff drive in the fourth.
Nieuwenhuis hit a two-run homer in the sixth, and Montero cut the gap to 4-3 in the seventh when he tripled and came home on Guerra's wild pitch.
Hernan Perez had an RBI single against Trevor Cahill in the eighth.
CUBS RALLY FIZZLES
Chicago's two-out rally attempt in the eighth fizzled when Michael Blazek struck out Jorge Soler. Anthony Rizzo had walked and gone to third on Ben Zobrist's double.
ZOBRIST STREAK
Zobrist walked in the sixth and has reached safely in 25 games since April 18.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Cubs: Manager Joe Maddon wasn't concerned about having to play less than 13 hours after Wednesday's 2-1, 13-inning win, which took 5 hours. "When you win a game like that, you'll find some energy the next day," he said. ... Rizzo was in the starting lineup after being replaced in the ninth inning Wednesday, after he was hit by a Jeremy Jeffress pitch. Maddon said inserting pinch-runner Javier Baez was strategic.
Brewers: LF Ryan Braun missed his second consecutive game with back stiffness. He had back surgery in the offseason and the team has been cautious with his health. The 32-year-old has gotten periodic days off for rest. Counsell said that Braun's right wrist, which kept him out of two games over the weekend, was fine. ... RF Domingo Santana was scratched due to right shoulder soreness and replaced by Ramon Flores. ... RHP Matt Garza (right lat), who has yet to play this season, threw his first bullpen session.
UP NEXT
Cubs: Jake Arrieta (7-0, 1.29 ERA) is to open a three-game series Friday at San Francisco and RHP Jake Peavy (1-4, 7.43). Chicago has won each of Arrieta's last 21 regular-season starts.
Brewers: RHP Wily Peralta (2-4, 7.30) is slated to pitch Friday at the New York Mets and LHP Steven Matz (5-1, 2.86).
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.
