Chicago Cubs use home run ball to sweep Brewers in 9-2 win

Cubs homer three times in the fifth; Schwarber drills two himself

Kyle Schwarber launched two home runs as the Chicago Cubs combined for five to back southpaw Jon Lester in the 7-2 win and sweep over the Milwaukee Brewers Thursday afternoon at Wrigley Field.

This offense started off cold but picked things up with three long balls in the fifth inning. Outfielder Dexter Fowler – who pulled a towering foul ball onto Sheffield early in the game – connected for a two-run shot to begin the ‘air show’ in the fifth inning, giving Lester a 3-1 lead.

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At first, Fowler ended up at second while Addison Russell came across to score. The ball bounced off the top of the wall in right field and found itself back into the field of play and would result in the umpire wanting to take a look at the replay.

Dexter finished the game 2-for-3 with two walks, a home run and added a two-out double in the eighth inning shortly after Chris Denorfia went deep to left to make it 8-2. Schwarber went 3-for-4 with a walk and four runs batted in.

Lester (8-8, 3.21 ERA) became the first lefty in Cubs (65-48) franchise history to record four, 10+ strikeout games. He held the Brewers (48-68) to two earned runs on seven hits with two walks.

Veteran catcher David Ross had his work cut out for him today, throwing out Elian Herrera at third early in the game. Milwaukee stole five bases against Lester but were unable to capitalize with runners in scoring position.

The Cubs grabbed the 1-0 lead during the bottom half of the second on an RBI single off the bat of Jorge Soler, but Ryan Braun would even things up with a single of his own in the third.

After Fowler went deep to right, Schwarber’s first home run went to deep center field to make it 4-1. It traveled an estimated 432 ft. – the fourth-longest hit at Wrigley and his furthest bomb this year.

First baseman Anthony Rizzo launched his 22nd homer of the year shortly after Chris Coghlan was called out on strikes. This is the first time the Cubs had three homers in the same inning since 2008.

Coghlan would be replaced at second base by Jonathan Herrera to begin the sixth.

That makes it seven in a row for the Cubs and a perfect homestand for this red-hot club. It was their first unbeaten homestand of at least seven games, since you guessed it, 2008.

They’ll begin a three-game weekend series on the South Side of Chicago against the White Sox.