RAYS 3, ORIOLES 1: In St. Petersburg, Florida, Kevin Kiermaier hit a two-run homer to lift Tampa Bay.
Advertisement
“The streak he’s on, he certainly deserves credit, being mentioned with the best”, Brewers manager Craig Counsell said.
The Cubs started a stretch of 16 of 19 at Wrigley Field, and the weather made for a night of small ball for a team that has won nine games by five runs or more.
With a 16 miles per hour wind blowing in and the wind chill 34 degrees at first pitch, runs were at a premium.
“A lot of guys would have been crying, a lot of guys, ‘Why me?’ ” Maddon said.
Ryan Braun, who has performed well against the Cubs and is now up there among National League RBI leaders.
Bryant was hit by a pitch for a second time an inning later and stranded at second before exiting the game.
Nelson (3-2) pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing three runs (one earned) and two hits. The move paid off as La Stella drew a walk to load the bases and set up Dexter Fowler’s run-scoring sacrifice fly.
After Steven Souza Jr. had a two-out single in the sixth, Kiermaier, a Bishop Luers graduate, put the Rays up 3-1 on his two-run shot off Ubaldo Jimenez (1-2). He walked four and struck out six.
Ryan Braun had the night off for rest, but was brought in as a pinch hitter in the eighth as the Brewers were down 1-4.
“He’s shy, but he’s not shy”, Cubs manager Joe Maddon said.
Chicago has enjoyed a glut of success at the plate as well.
The Cubs (15-5) have won three of their last four games.
Braun, booed loudly before pinch-hitting, extended his hitting streak to eight games with a liner to right. He needed 31 pitches to get through the first inning, when Jonathan Villar led off with an opposite-field, broken-bat single over third base. Cubs RHP Jake Arrieta (4-0, 0.87 ERA) makes his first start since throwing last week’s no-hitter in Cincinnati when he faces Brewers RHP Taylor Jungmann (0-3, 8.47 ERA) in Wednesday’s middle game.
Brewers: 2B Scooter Gennett (right oblique) was placed on the 15-day disabled list and Milwaukee selected the contract of INF Hernan Perez from Triple-A Colorado Springs.
Advertisement
Chicago C Miguel Montero was a late scratch from the starting lineup, suffering from back stiffness.
