Fowler leads Cubs past Brewers
MILWAUKEE -- Dexter Fowler had four hits in his return from a six-week stint on the disabled list and Jason Hammel threw six solid innings to lead the Chicago Cubs to a 5-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers Friday night in front of a sellout -- and decidedly pro-Cubs -- crowd of 42,243 fans at Miller Park.
Hammel allowed a pair of runs on four hits and a walk with a pair of strikeouts and earned a victory in consecutive starts for the first time since May 2.
In the lineup for the first time since suffering a hamstring injury on June 18, Fowler wasted little time to get back into a groove and belted Nelson's fifth offering off the batter's eye in center for his eighth home run of the season.
Aided by an error on Nelson, the Cubs added three more in the second on Fowler's two-run double and a sac fly from Anthony Rizzo.
Ryan Braun broke the shutout, sending Hammel's first pitch of the fourth inning to center for his 14th home run of the year.
Hernan Perez's RBI double in the fifth made it a 4-2 game and manager Craig Counsell opted to pinch-hit for Nelson, who allowed four runs -- two earned -- on four hits and three walks with three strikeouts.
Chicago's offense was held in check by the Brewers' bullpen until Miguel Montero added an insurance run with an RBI single in the eighth inning.
Milwaukee stranded runners in scoring position in the fifth and sixth innings and the Cubs' relievers preserved the lead by allowing only three baserunners -- on two hits and an error -- over the final four innings, with Hector Rondon earning his 17th save of the season with a scoreless ninth inning.
In the lineup for the first time since suffering a hamstring injury on June 18, Fowler wasted little time to get back into a groove and belted Nelson's fifth offering off the batter's eye in center for his eighth home run of the season.
Aided by an error on Nelson, the Cubs added three runs in the second on Fowler's two-run double and a sac fly from Anthony Rizzo.
Ryan Braun ended the shutout, sending Hammel's first pitch of the fourth inning to center for his 14th home run of the year.
Perez's RBI double in the fifth made it 4-2 and Counsell opted to pinch-hit for Nelson, who allowed four runs (two earned), four hits and three walks with three strikeouts.
NOTES: Chicago activated OF Dexter Fowler from the disabled list. He had been out since June 18 with a strained right hamstring. ... LHP Mike Montgomery joined the Cubs in Milwaukee, two days after he was acquired from Seattle in a four-player trade. ... To make room for Fowler and Montgomery on the active roster, the Cubs optioned OF Albert Almora and RHP Spencer Patton to Triple-A Iowa. ... Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said OF Domingo Santana, out since June 8 with a sore right elbow, could begin a minor league rehab assignment this week. ... Chicago has won three of the first five meetings this season and is 25-13 in the last 38 meetings with Milwaukee, which has lost six consecutive series to the Cubs, including four of the last five at Miller Park.