Today’s game features Jimmy Nelson and Kyle Hendricks. The Brewers have been pretty bad so far, but the Cubs have been struggling a bit of late.
Milwaukee jumps on Hendricks right from the start. Ryan Braun, easily the best player on the team so far draws a one out walk. Khris Davis gets a single that puts runners on the corners and Adam Lind draws a walk to load the bases.
Catcher Miguel Montero goes to the mound to talk to his pitcher and Jonathan Lucroy then gets a sac fly to bring home the first run of the day.
Ryan Gennett smokes a double high off the wall in left center field for two more runs. Shane Peterson grounds out to end the inning but the Brewers are up 3-0 after a half inning of play.
The Brewers and Cubs both hit a series of doubles, as the wind is blowing out pretty hard, but the score was still 3-0 Brewers as the Cubs bat in the bottom of the second.
Montero gets a leadoff single and Chris Coghlan bunts the runner into scoring position and Jorge Soler rips a double to left that scores Montero for the first run of the day. Javier Baez then gets another double to cut the lead to one. Hendricks whiffs to end the inning but the lead is Brewers 3, Cubs 2 after two innings.
The Brewers deliver the killing blow in the fourth inning. Elian Herrera draws a leadoff walk. Jimmy Nelson strikes out. Hernan Perez hits a double and runners are on second and third with one out. Braun then hits a single to right and two runs score as Braun takes second on the throw.
The pitching coach comes to the mound to stall for time and Davis then hits a single to score Braun and Hendricks is done for the day. Lind hits a single and runners are on first and second. Lucroy hits another in a seemingly endless line of hits that scores a run. Gennett gets a single and the bases are now loaded.
Peterson hits a fly ball to medium left field and another run scores. Herrera and Nelson are retired and the inning is mercifully over.
The score remained 8-2 Brewers on top as we reach the 8th inning. Nelson is still in and looking sharp as Dexter Fowler draws a leadoff walk. He was off with the pitch and Castro rips one into left center that rolls all the way to the wall to score Fowler. Castro then steals third and was there with one out when Kris Bryant hits a sacrifice fly to score another run. Montero strikes out and the inning is over and the Cubs trail 8-4. This was the final score as the Brewers continued to pound away at the Cubs bullpen but fortunately no further runs scored.
Kyle Hendricks takes the loss while Jimmy Nelson gets the victory. Khris Davis was the star of the day going 5 for 5 with a walk and oddly enough only 1 RBI.
Around the horn:
The Nationals get a rare win against the Mets as Bryce Harper goes 4-5 with a HR and 4 RBI
Carlos Santana of the Indians hits his second grand slam of the season. He is the only player in my replay history with two career slams.
Kevin Gausman throws a 5-0 shutout of the Tampa Rays
