Eight-run second inning leads Brewers
MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Carlos Lee started and capped Milwaukee's
biggest inning of the season.
Lee hit two home runs, including a three-run shot during an
eight-run second inning, and the Brewers beat the Chicago Cubs 9-4
on Wednesday night.
"That's nice to bounce back from our last two losses," Lee
said. "Eight runs in one inning. That was awesome."
Lee added a solo shot in the seventh for his 19th homer. The NL
leader with 64 RBI has two multihomer games this season.
Milwaukee sent 12 men to the plate in the second and knocked out
Chicago starter Carlos Zambrano (4-4).
"It's just a bad night," Chicago manager Dusty Baker said. "I
doubt you'll see that kind of outing again."
The right-hander, who has just one win in his last eight starts,
lasted a career-low 1 2/3 innings and gave up a career-high eight
earned runs and seven hits.
"That happens," Zambrano said. "Sooner or later in your
career you are going to have a game like this. I'm not a perfect
machine. I'm not a perfect pitcher."
Milwaukee starter Doug Davis (9-6) won for the fifth time in
seven starts and matched a career high with nine strikeouts. The
left-hander allowed six hits, one walk and three earned runs in 6
2/3 innings as the Brewers won for just the fourth time in 13
games.
"He pitched great," Milwaukee manager Ned Yost said. "Right
from the beginning he was locked in. Keeping the ball down, making
good pitches and changing speeds real well. He pitched extremely
well."
Davis also collected the first double, RBI and run of his career
in the second.
"It's nice to be able to help the offense for once," Davis
said.
Lee, hitless in his previous 10 at-bats, led off the second with
a single and scored the first run of the game on a bloop single to
center field by Rickie Weeks. Davis, batting .069 on the season,
hit a two-run double down the right-field line to give Milwaukee a
3-0 lead.
"At that point of the game, that was big," Lee said. "That
was the biggest hit of the game because it could've easily been a
groundball double play."
Brady Clark followed with a two-run single to right, and Lee's
three-run homer to left capped the outburst.
Davis allowed just one hit in the first five innings and retired
11 batters in a row before Chicago scored three times in the sixth.
"When Davis hit that ball down the line you start thinking that
maybe it's his night," Baker said.
Reliever Richard Hill, who did not allow a hit and struck out
six in 4 1/3 innings, singled with one out in the sixth for his
first career hit. He scored on a two-out double by Neifi Perez, and
Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez also added run-scoring doubles to cut
the deficit to 8-3.Game notes
Six of Chicago's eight hits were doubles. Lee has 33 RBI
in his last 33 games against Chicago. ... Cubs 2B Jerry Hairston
made a diving play on a groundball by Carlos Lee for the first out
in the fifth and also made a nice play to end the inning. Geoff
Jenkins hit a groundball off Derrek Lee's glove that Hairston
caught with his bare hand and then threw to Hill covering first
base. ... Jenkins struck out twice in the second inning. ... The
Brewers have outscored opponents 42-15 in the second. ... Zambrano
allowed a career-high nine hits in his last start against the New
York Yankees.
Series tied 2-2
Game Information
- Umpires:
- Home Plate Umpire - Jerry Crawford
- First Base Umpire - C.B. Bucknor
- Second Base Umpire - Phil Cuzzi
- Third Base Umpire - Ed Rapuano
2023 National League Central Standings
Team | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Milwaukee | 89 | 69 | .563 | - | W1 |
Chicago | 82 | 76 | .519 | 7 | L2 |
Cincinnati | 81 | 78 | .509 | 8.5 | L1 |
Pittsburgh | 74 | 84 | .468 | 15 | L3 |
St. Louis | 69 | 89 | .437 | 20 | L1 |