CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs beat the Milwaukee Brewers 6-3 on Tuesday night. Here's a quick look at the game.
How it happened: The Cubs scored three times in the second inning off Brewers starter Taylor Jungmann as Jorge Soler drove in Kris Bryant with a single, and then Dexter Fowler brought one home with a sacrifice fly. In between, a Dan Haren bunt resulted in a run when catcher Jonathan Lucroy dropped the ball on the tag of Soler at the plate. In the third inning, Chris Coghlan walked, stole second and came home on Anthony Rizzo's double to center. The Brewers got on the scoreboard in the next inning when Adam Lind and Elian Herrera both doubled. The Cubs extended the lead again in the bottom of the fourth, scoring two more on a bases-loaded walk by Rizzo, followed two batters later by Soler getting plunked with them loaded again. Lind hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning, but that's as close as the Brewers would come. Haren lasted 5 1/3 innings while giving up five hits and striking out six.
What it means: The game never seemed in doubt. That's how far the Cubs have come, and maybe how far the Brewers have fallen, after making some deadline deals. The teams had the same amount of hits, but it was the seven walks and three hit-by-pitches that stood out for the home team. Seems like the team's patience is paying off.
After a weekend during which the rookies got plenty of attention at the plate, Rizzo reminded everyone what he can do. He singled, doubled, walked and was hit by a pitch. It was simply a workmanlike win for the Cubs, who extended their good fortunes to an 11th win in 12 contests while gaining a game on the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Castro at second: Starlin Castro made his major league debut at second base, replacing Coghlan in the sixth inning with the Cubs leading 6-1. He made one easy play at second, then attempted a dive to his left on another one; he eventually corralled the ball but couldn't get a throw on it. It was a makeable play but would have been a very good one if completed. In the ninth, he ranged near the Brewers bullpen to make a great catch on a foul pop up, much to the delight of the fans. He popped out in his only at-bat.
What's next: Game 2 of the series takes place on Wednesday night, featuring Jason Hammel (6-5, 3.17) versus Matt Garza (6-12, 4.95).
