Brewers 1, Cubs 0: Lorenzo Cain's homer is all pitchers need

Todd Rosiak , Tom Haudricourt | Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

After struggling all season to score runs against the Chicago Cubs, the Milwaukee Brewers have finally turned the tables.

Riding a strong start from Jhoulys Chacín, some standout relief from Jeremy Jeffress, Josh Hader and Corey Knebel and a home run by Lorenzo Cain, the Brewers did just enough to shut out the Cubs for the second consecutive game at Miller Park — this time by a score of 1-0 on Wednesday afternoon.

"They’ve had our number all year long," said Cain. "So to take two out of three is definitely nice."

Chacín (6-1), Milwaukee's most consistent starter of late, limited Chicago to four hits and three walks while striking out a season-high-tying over six innings and 100 pitches before making way for Jeffress in the seventh.

BOX SCORE: Brewers 1, Cubs 0

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Cain's third-inning homer off Mike Montgomery provided just enough breathing room, and Jeffress and Hader combined to strike out four of the eight hitters they faced in the seventh and eighth.

Knebel then struck out a pair in the ninth to earn his sixth save of the season and give Milwaukee its first series victory over Chicago since sweeping the Cubs last Sept. 8-10 at Wrigley Field.

Milwaukee also lengthened its lead in the National League Central back out to 1 1/2 games.

"We’re a good baseball team. We know they’re a good baseball team," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "This series wasn’t going to decide anything, but we know that’s a team that’s going to be there in the end so wins against them are important.

"We played a good series. It was a fabulous series. I sound like a broken record, but we pitched incredibly again. That’s a lineup that’s scoring a lot of runs and we shut them down with our pitching very well."

The shutouts are the first ever on consecutive days for the Brewers against the Cubs. They blanked the Cubs in two straight games in 2006 — a series finale on April 20 and a series opener on June 26.

The 1-0 shutout was just the second ever by the Brewers against the Cubs in the teams' 341-game, all-time series.

The only other time it occurred? On July 5, 2004 at Miller Park, with a first-inning Counsell homer deciding it.

"I remember the pitcher was Matt Clement," Counsell said.

It was Milwaukee's seventh shutout overall, and the second time this season it shut out an opponent in back to back games (Cincinnati, April 17-18).

FIVE TAKEAWAYS

DAVIES THROWING AGAIN: Right-hander Zach Davies threw his first bullpen session since going on the DL for the second time with rotator cuff inflammation. The team will go slower with Davies this time around after the issue reoccurred after his first DL stint. Counsell said Davies is probably three weeks away from rejoining the rotation. “He’s going to have to throw a couple bullpens and there will be definitely more than one (minor-league) rehab outing,” Counsell said. “He’ll need two to three rehab outings, just to build back up.”

OPPORTUNITIES SLIP AWAY: The Brewers went 0 for 2 Tuesday night with runners on third and less than two outs, and 0 for 2 again in the series finale. They have been one of the worst teams in the majors at coming through in such situations, ranking 26th in the majors with a .244 batting average. They are 17th with 15 sacrifice flies in those situations.

ROUNDING THE BASES: Cain's third-inning homer gave the Brewers 84 for the season, one fewer than the National League-leading Los Angeles Dodgers. Cain upped his total to eight, tying him with Ryan Braun and Christian Yelich for third-most on the team. Cain hit 15 homers last season with the Kansas City Royals and had six to his credit through this date a year ago. He hit a career-high 16 in 2015.

LONG FUSE: Home-plate umpire Jim Reynolds exercised great restraint in the eighth inning. After Hader opened by striking out Albert Almora, he followed by getting Anthony Rizzo looking at a called third on a 94-mph fastball right at the knees and on the outside corner. Rizzo tossed his bat thinking he'd walked, only to start barking furiously at Reynolds when he realized he'd struck out. Cubs manager Joe Maddon hurried out of the dugout to protect Rizzo, and neither was being ejected.

PLAYING THE GAME: Maddon got creative with his alignment in the bottom of the eighth. He brought in right-hander Steve Cishek to open the inning, and Orlando Arcia greeted him with a single. The Brewers then pinch-hit Eric Thames, prompting Maddon to bring in left-hander Brian Duensing and insert Cishek in left field. Duensing struck out Thames on four pitches, then Maddon re-inserted Cishek to face Cain and moved Duensing to left. Cishek got Cain to ground out, then Duensing was re-inserted to face Yelich with catcher Willson Contreras taking over in left.

Yelich immediately tested Contreras with a fly ball toward the left-field corner, but he tracked it down for the third out.

"I was actually confused," Cain said. "I did not know Cishek went to left field at all. I was excited to face a lefty, because I love facing lefties, then it kind of broke my heart when I saw (Cishek) come in. I didn't want any part of him."

RECORD

This year: 41-27

Last year: 36-32

ATTENDANCE

Wednesday: 39,822

This year: 1,079,215 (33,726 avg.)

Last year: 928,650 (29,020 avg.)

COMING UP

Thursday: Off.

Friday: Phillies at Brewers, 7:10 p.m. Milwaukee LHP Brent Suter (6-4, 4.61) vs. Philadelphia RHP Jake Arrieta (5-4, 2.97).