Brewers bounce back, take down the Cubs at Wrigley

Aug 26, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Chicago Cubs starter

(49) delivers a pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

For the second straight day, the Cubs took an early lead against the Brewers. Unlike on Friday, though, the Milwaukee offense bounced back and took down Chicago by a 5-3 final.

Jake Arrieta continued his recent string of solid starts at home since joining the Cubs in July, tossing a solid five innings of four-run ball, allowing three hits, three walks and four strikeouts. Neither the Cubs nor the Brewers’ bats ever seemed to find a good rhythm against the opposing pitchers.

The only Cubs’ offense came in the form of a pair of home runs – one off the bat of Luis Valbuena in the bottom of the second and the latter coming from outfielder Brian Bogusevic in the bottom of the sixth.

Brewers starter Johnny Hellweg turned in a good outing for Milwaukee, allowing just the three runs over six innings of work. Chicago managed just four hits and three walks against Hellweg, and failed to find consistency all afternoon.

Milwaukee tallied all four runs in the top of the fourth inning against Arrieta. Scooter Gennett, who touched up Chicago on Friday for a big home run, hit an RBI single, plating Jonathan Lucroy to kick things off. A Logan Schafer triple past Ryan Sweeney in center field cleared a bases loaded situation, scoring Aramis Ramirez, Gennett and Caleb Gindl.

Brooks Raley, Chang-Yong Lim, Alberto Cabrera and Zac Rosscup were lights out for Dale Sveum Saturday, combining to not allow a single run in relief of Arrieta, but the Chicago offense failed to mount a comeback, moving the two teams back into a tie for fourth place in the NL Central. When Lim entered the game, the organization set a new record for the number of players used in a single season, with 54. The previous record of 53 was set during the 2012 campaign.

In the top of the eighth inning, with three runners aboard – all of whom reached via base-on-balls – Rosscup, in just his second big league game, squared off against pinch hitter Carlos Gomez. Despite his apparent nerves, Rosscup retired Gomez and kept Chicago within one, 4-3, heading to the bottom of the eighth.

Milwaukee tacked on another run in the top of the ninth against Blake Parker, which pushed the Brewers’ lead to 5-3, and after a quiet bottom of the ninth , the Brew Crew claimed the ‘W’.

The two clubs will meet again tomorrow afternoon Wrigley Field. Yovani Gallardo (10-9, 4.31) will square off against Scott Baker, who is making his Cubs’ debut and his first Major League start since September 2011.