NOTES: The Brewers announced Tuesday that general manager Doug Melvin would set down after 13 years as chief baseball executive.
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A week ago today, the Chicago Cubs sat behind San Francisco and Pittsburgh, looking as if though their sluggish hitting was getting the best of them.
Chicago (63-48) improved to a season-high 15 games over. We’re trying to beat the game through execution.
Haren, acquired from Miami on July 31, then struck out catcher Jonathan Lucroy, his final batter of the night.
Rizzo had two hits, including an RBI double, and drew a bases-loaded walk.
Forget Chicago’s lights-out 2.23 ERA over the last 11 contests. Milwaukee’s defense committed three errors on the night. Brewers right-hander Matt Garza faces his former team for the second time this month after taking the loss August 1 in Milwaukee.
In the finale, Jon Lester (7-8) will bring his reinvented arm to a day game against Tyler Cravy (0-3), a 26-year old promising righty that hasn’t fared well against Central Division foes during his first four games.
Chicago scored three runs in the second inning, one in the third and two more in the fourth to open a 6-1 lead.
Four relievers combined to shut out the Brewers the rest of the way.
It was the eighth straight game in which the opposing pitcher has failed to get through six innings against this Cubs lineup.
Moving to second base, Cubs won’t force the issue with Castro].
The three-time All-Star entered the game in the sixth. But you know his morale has taken a hit over the Cubs winning in his absence, and it would even be worse if Chicago advanced past the wildcard round without Castro.
The Cubs also activated infielder Tommy La Stella from the 60-day disabled list and optioned him to Triple-A where he’s been rehabbing an oblique injury.
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Brewers right-handed starter Taylor Jungmann (6-4) worked just 2 2/3 innings – his shortest outing of the season – as Milwaukee (48-66) dropped its third in four games.
