Kyle Harrison strikes out 11 as Brewers sweep sloppy Cubs with 5-0 win
CHICAGO (AP) — Kyle Harrison struck out 11 in seven dominant innings and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the sloppy Chicago Cubs 5-0 on Wednesday night to sweep the first series this season between the NL Central rivals. David Hamilton had three hits and scored two runs as division-leading Milwaukee improved to 14-4 in its last 18 games. Jake Bauers extended his hitting to a career-high 11 games with an RBI single in the third.
Harrison (5-1) allowed two hits and walked one in his fourth career game with double-digit strikeouts. The left-hander is 4-0 with a sparkling 0. 96 ERA in his last five starts, striking out 41 batters in 28 innings.
Harrison and Hamilton were acquired by Milwaukee in a February trade with Boston that sent third baseman Caleb Durbin to the Red Sox. Chicago committed three errors during its ninth loss in 11 games. Struggling reliever Phil Maton threw a wild pitch in the seventh that brought home Milwaukee's final run.
Cubs right-hander Edward Cabrera (3-2) exited after three-plus innings because of a blister on his right middle finger. He was charged with four runs, one earned, and four hits. Milwaukee scored three in the second, taking advantage of an ugly mistake by Gold Glove center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong.
The Brewers had runners on first and second with one out when Hamilton hit a liner up the middle. The ball went under Crow-Armstrong’s glove and rolled toward the warning track. Hamilton picked up speed as he rounded first and scored with a headfirst slide.