Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (9/6/19): Brewers 7, Cubs 1 – Hamels Hammered in Cubs Loss
The Cubs have looked good the last three games, piling up runs in a trio of easy wins, but that wasn’t the case Friday in Milwaukee. The offense no-showed and starter Cole Hamels had another road clunker.
Hamels was in trouble immediately, loading the bases with one down in the 1st. He was able to escape that jam and a Nicholas Castellanos homer in the 3rd gave the Cubs a 1-0 lead.
Lorenzo Cain and Yasmani Grandal singled to open the bottom of 3rd inning and Christian Yelich worked a full count before destroying a three-run homer to right. A Cory Spangenberg bunt single increased the Brewers lead to 4-1.
Grandal hit a solo homer in the 4th to pad the lead further. Chicago did not get a hit the rest of the night as Milwaukee’s bullpen shut them down. The home team tacked on a couple more runs late to make the win more impressive. (Box score)
Why the Cubs Lost
Hamels blew up to give the Brewers more than enough cushion to win. The Cubs’ failure to take advantage of the bullpen, like they did Thursday, also hurt.
Key Moment
The bottom of the 3rd decided the game Friday. The one player that the Cubs couldn’t let beat them did just that.
Stats That Matter
- Hamels looked better his last outing, but it was back to his recent struggles in this contest: 3.1 IP, 5 R, 9 H, 3 K and 2 BB. You don’t want to speculate on his oblique, but it still might not be 100%.
- Castellanos was the only bright spot on offense, with a double in addition to his homer.
Bottom Line
Overall it was a very listless effort for Chicago. The Cardinals had a rare slip up in Pittsburgh so the NL Central race remains at 2.5 games. The Cubs can’t afford many more efforts like Friday night.
On Deck
Chicago tries to solve Gio González Saturday night at 6:10pm CT. Yu Darvish faces the Milwaukee lefty in a game airing on WGN and 670 The Score.