Chicago, IL (SportsNetwork.com) – Aramis Ramirez hit a solo home run and drove
in a pair of runs in the eighth inning to lift the Milwaukee Brewers to a 5-3
win over the Chicago Cubs in Sunday’s series finale.
Gerardo Parra pinch hit to lead off the decisive eighth against Pedro Strop
(0-1) and doubled to left-center. Carlos Gomez followed with a bunt single and
Jean Segura got hit in the helmet with a pitch to load the bases. Segura
walked to first base on his own power but was removed from the game.
After Parra was called out at the plate on Ryan Braun’s double-play grounder
and Adam Lind was walked intentionally, Ramirez delivered a two-out single to
short left that broke a 3-3 tie.
Jonathan Broxton struck out two in the eighth inning and Francisco Rodriguez
got some help from Ramirez at third base to nail down his fourth save. Two of
the final three outs were line drives at Ramirez.
Jimmy Nelson went 6 2/3 innings for the Brewers, yielding three runs on seven
hits while striking out six. Will Smith (1-0) finished the seventh inning by
striking out Anthony Rizzo.
The Brewers scored one run apiece in the second, third and fourth innings to
take an early lead.
Ramirez homered off Jason Hammel in the second, Carlos Gomez plated Nelson
with a single in the third and Khris Davis lifted a sacrifice fly to center an
inning later.
Hammel opened the scoring for Chicago with a sacrifice fly of his own in the
home second. The Cubs trailed 3-1 until the fifth, when Nelson allowed
consecutive two-out RBI knocks from the heart of Chicago’s order.
Rizzo tripled to center to score Dexter Fowler, and Kris Bryant broke out of
an 0-for-11 slump with an RBI double to right.
Game Notes
The Cubs have lost consecutive home games for the first time all season. They
fell to 7-7 at Wrigley Field … Hammel went six-plus innings, yielding three
runs on five hits … Chicago went 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position,
while Milwaukee finished 3-for-10.
