Cubs 8, Brewers 5
Junior Lake hit his first career grand slam and Chris Rusin picked up the first two RBIs of his career before an early exit as host Chicago took the opener of a three-game series.
Nate Schierholtz chipped in a run-scoring single and Donnie Murphy had two hits and two runs for the Cubs, who scored five runs in the first inning and held on to forge a last-place tie with Milwaukee in the National League Central.
Rusin singled in a pair of runs in the bottom of the third to make it 7-2 but struggled in throwing 85 pitches in 3 2/3 innings, allowing two runs and seven hits. Carlos Villanueva (5-8) took over and picked up the win after striking out five in 2 1/3 perfect frames.
Schierholtz knocked in the first run of the game with one out in the bottom of the first and Lake hammered his fifth home run of the year one out later to give Chicago a quick 5-0 lead on Kyle Lohse (9-9). The Brewers got one back in the second on a Norichika Aoki sacrifice fly and another in the third when Aramis Ramirez smacked a solo shot to left.
Milwaukee made it interesting when Scooter Gennett hit a pinch-hit three-run homer in the eighth to cut the deficit to 7-5, but the Cubs pushed across an insurance run in the bottom half and Kevin Gregg retired the side in order in the ninth to record his 30th save.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Brewers LF Khris Davis was scratched from the lineup with left wrist soreness. ... Lohse was charged with a season-high seven runs and 11 hits in five innings. ... Lake's slam was the Cubs' 95th home run at home, which moves them one ahead of Baltimore for the major-league lead. The Orioles will host the Chicago White Sox later Friday.