Brewers' Nelson settles down after disastrous first inning in loss to Cubs
CHICAGO -- The banged-up Milwaukee Brewers fell behind early and just couldn't get anything going offensively.
Jorge Soler hit a three-run homer during a five-run first inning, Jon Lester pitched into the seventh and the Chicago Cubs beat Milwaukee 6-1 on Wednesday night for their 17th win in 20 games.
The Brewers trail the major league-best Cubs by 24 games in the NL Central and have lost five of their last six and eight of 11. Milwaukee has scored just twice in dropping the first three of the four-game series.
"We didn't get the right guys on tonight to put any pressure on (Lester)," manager Craig Counsell said. "We didn't get many guys on period.
"We're scuffling right now to get some offense together."
Brewers starter Jimmy Nelson (6-13) is 1-10 in his last 14 starts and was hit hard early in this one despite getting ahead on most hitters in Chicago's big first inning.
"Where he struggled was execution with two strikes, but they deserve credit, too, for putting good at-bats together with two strikes," Counsell said. "The at-bat's not over. He's got to finish the at-bat off."
Nelson walked leadoff batter Dexter Fowler then hit Kris Bryant with a pitch to begin the first. Ben Zobrist and Addison Russell had RBI singles and Soler's homer on a 2-2 pitch landed just under the videoboard atop the stands in left-center field.
Lester (13-4) got his fourth straight win, giving up one run and three hits in 6 2/3 innings while striking out seven. He hasn't lost since July 3.
"You get five runs after the bottom of the first, it . . . kind of relaxes you, you don't have to grind as much," Lester said. "The offense has been really good for us, consistent. It makes our lives as pitchers a lot easier when they're consistent."
David Ross added a solo home run in the third inning for the Cubs, who won their third straight following a doubleheader sweep of the Brewers on Tuesday.
"It was just two pitches that cost me four runs (on homers), so it's a totally different ballgame there, especially the one in the first," Nelson said. "The surface stuff over the last month may have not looked good, but there's a lot of good things underneath as far as first strikes or getting to two strikes a lot."
Carl Edwards Jr. and Travis Wood combined for 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief for the Cubs.
The Brewers got a run in the sixth when Keon Broxton singled, then stole two bases before scoring on a groundout by Orlando Arcia.
Milwaukee loaded the bases on two singles and a walk in the second inning, but Lester got Nelson to ground into an inning-ending force out.
Brewers: OF Ryan Braun is day-to-day after crashing into a wall at Wrigley Field on Tuesday. Braun injured his left knee and ankle and was out of the lineup Wednesday. Braun and manager Craig Counsell said he might be ready to play Thursday in Chicago and is expected to play during the weekend in Seattle. . . . RHP Chase Anderson, who was hit in the left quadriceps by Bryant's comebacker Tuesday, said he felt much better and would play light catch and evaluate from there. Counsell said Anderson might be well enough to start in the Brewers' three-game series in Seattle.
Cubs: OF Chris Coghlan was placed on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday with a right rib contusion. . . . RHP Joe Smith was placed on the 15-day DL with a left hamstring strain. The sidearm reliever said he didn't feel right during his ninth-inning appearance on Tuesday, when he walked two of the three hitters he faced, and that it might be a recurrence of an injury from May.
The Cubs send RHP Jake Arrieta (14-5, 2.55) to the mound for the series finale Thursday. RHP Zach Davies (9-5, 3.80) will pitch for the Brewers.
