Cubs Done In By 3 Errors In 5-1 Loss To Brewers
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Three errors, including a crucial throwing miscue by starting pitcher Edwin Jackson, left Chicago Cubs manager Dale Sveum in a sour mood after a 5-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday night.
"It seems to be the story every night," Sveum said. "We can't seem to catch the ball or make a play when we have to make a play. Edwin pitched a great game, but obviously he was part of that, throwing the ball into center field. This is obviously getting old. We've been doing this quite a bit. We are making mistakes that rookie ball people make."
Sveum suggested that some lineup changes could be in order if the team's play doesn't improve.
"To win in the big leagues you have to have people that perform and perform in 162 (games), not once in a while. Otherwise you lose your jobs," he said. "There are always options if you can't play."
Jackson (0-3) pitched six innings, giving up four hits and five runs, only one of them earned, with one walk on four strikeouts, but he was outdueled by Hiram Burgos, who recorded the win for the Brewers in his major league debut.
"We just have to make plays when we have a chance," Jackson said. "It is just a matter of going out and doing it. It is not an issue that anyone is panicking over. We are going to have bumps in the road but at the end of the day when we take the field we feel like we can beat anybody we play."
Jonathan Lucroy homered, Burgos pitched five innings and the Brewers took advantage of the shoddy fielding by Cubs to capture their sixth consecutive win.
Burgos held the Cubs to one run and five hits with a strikeout and no walks to help the Brewers win their sixth straight game.
"I was very anxious before the game, waiting to go out there and warm up," Burgos said. "As soon as I got out there and threw my first pitch, everything went away. I was very locked down."
Three Brewers relievers combined to hold the Cubs scoreless over the last four innings.
Brewers manager Ron Roenicke had praise for Burgos, who was summoned from Triple-A Nashville on Friday.
"When you see a guy coming up for his first outing and to be able to command pitches like that, it tells you a lot about a guy," Roenicke said.
The Brewers scored first when Lucroy hit his third home run of the season, a solo shot to left center field in the second inning off Jackson, who lost to the Brewers for the second time this season.
Jackson, who lowered his ERA to 4.84 from over 6, held the Brewers to two hits through four innings. Two Cubs' errors in the fifth led to a pair of unearned runs, giving the Brewers a 3-1 lead.
The Brewers extended the lead to 5-1 with two more unearned runs in the sixth. Ryan Braun singled. After Rickie Weeks struck out, Lucroy hit a bouncer back to the mound that Jackson cleanly fielded but his throw to second base sailed into center field, allowing Braun to advance to third.
Braun scored on a sacrifice bunt by Logan Schafer. A single by Martin Maldonado drove in Lucroy.
"We made a lot of mistakes today," said Alfonso Soriano, who drove in the Cubs' only run with a single in the fourth. "It is very tough. I think we are better than this. The team is not doing well so far right now so far because I think everybody pushes too much, and tries to do too much. We need to try and come back tomorrow and be relaxed, let the talent play the game."
NOTES: With the win, the Brewers joined the 1977 Yankees as the only teams ever to start 2-8 and climb to .500 by winning their next six games. The Yankees won the World Series that season. . The Brewers have won 17 of their last 19 games against the Cubs at Miller Park, including the last seven. . Cubs SS Starlin Castro extended his hitting streak to 12 games, the longest active streak in the majors, with a bloop single to right field in the fourth inning. . The Cubs were 1-for-4 with runners in scoring position and are now 17-for-115 (.148) this season. ...The Brewers pitching staff didn't issues a walk in the game and has given up just 36 bases on balls over its first 16 games, fewest in the NL.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2013. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
