Brewers 7, Cubs 0
MILWAUKEE -- Sean Halton and Khris Davis homered and Tyler Thornburg threw six scoreless innings as the Brewers rolled to a 7-0 victory over the Cubs Wednesday night at Miller Park.
Thornburg continued his strong audition for 2014 by holding the Cubs to just two hits and two walks with four strikeouts. He retired nine of his first 11 batters and didn't allow a runner into scoring position.
In six starts, Thornburg (3-1) is 2-1 with a 1.21 ERA after going 0-9 with a 5.79 ERA in 15 starts this season with Triple-A Nashville.
He was able to settle into a rhythm thanks in large part to Halton's blast, which provided an early cushion.
Jean Segura's one-out walk kicked off Milwaukee's first inning. After Lucroy singled, Aramis Ramirez drove in the Segura to give the Brewers a 1-0 lead.
Davis drew a two-out walk and Halton worked the count full before taking Cubs starter Chris Rusin to left center for his first career grand slam.
Davis led off the Brewers' fourth with a solo home run to left, his 10th of the season. An RBI double by Carlos Gomez put the Brewers up 7-0 in the fifth.
Rusin worked just four innings, allowing six runs on four hits and two walks with three strikeouts.
Brewers prospect Jimmy Nelson worked two scoreless innings, allowing just one hit -- a double by Ryan Sweeney -- with two walks and two strikeouts.
Sweeney was the only Cubs player with more than one hit as he finished the day 2-for-3.
The Brewers have won four in a row and six of their last seven while the Cubs have dropped five in a row and seven of their last eight.
NOTES: Suspended Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun was in Milwaukee Wednesday and visited his teammates before the game at Miller Park. Braun's visit was brief and he left the stadium before clubhouses opened to the media. Braun was handed a 65-game suspension on July 23 for using performance-enhancing drugs. ... Cubs manager Dale Sveum said he wasn't worried after general manager Theo Epstein didn't give a definitive answer Tuesday that Sveum would be back in 2014. "I've been around the game long enough to understand how the whole process works," Sveum said. ... Segura left the game after straining his right hamstring when he scored from second on Ramirez's first-inning single. ... Cubs third baseman Donnie Murphy was not in the lineup Wednesday and is considered day-to-day with a sore left wrist.
