Jonathan Lucroy – UPI/Bill Greenblatt
Cubs starter Jake Arrieta (20-6) dominated the Milwaukee Brewers to become MLB’s first 20-game winner this season. The righthander struck out 11 Milwaukee batters and allowed just three hits in a 4-0 Cubs win Tuesday night at Wrigley Field.
The playoff-bound Cubs (89-62) got to Brewers righty Tyler Cravy (0-8) when Kris Bryant blasted a two-run homer in the third. Cravy would surrender three hits and strike out three in his four innings, all en route to his eighth loss of the season.
Chicago added runs in the fifth and eighth innings off relievers Kyle Lohse and Corey Knebel, respectively.
Arrieta dominance included a stretch of 14-consecutive batters retired as he tallied his third complete game of the season.
The Brewers (63-88) play to avoid a sweep, and a 14th loss in 17 games, tonight on Chicago’s northside. Rookie Zach Davies gets the start against Kyle Hendricks. First pitch at 7:05pm.
Also, Brewers manager Craig Counsell says catcher/first baseman Jonathan Lucroy (concussion) is close to being cleared to return to action. The manager also said Lucroy would not play catcher for the rest of the season, in a move to prevent potential contact and further injuries.
And despite passing all of his tests “with flying colors,” righthander Jimmy Nelson will not pitch again this season, according to Counsell. Nelson took a line drive to the head last week, but walked off the Miller Park field under his own power. A CT scan show a contusion and nothing more.