Jonathan Lucroy UPI/Bill Greenblatt
Zach Davies blanked the Chicago Cubs on just two hits over six innings to help the Milwaukee Brewers end a nine-game losing streak with a 4-1 victory in the series finale at Wrigley Field.
Jorge Soler homered for the Cubs only run as Chicago lost for just the second time in the last nine games.
Davies allowed a pair of second inning singles, walked one and struck out four to even his record at 2-2 in his fifth start. Francisco Rodriguez worked the ninth to record his 35th save in 37 chances.
Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks (7-7) retired the first 14 hitters until Jean Segura finally reached in the fifth when he legged out an infield single and scored on Luis Sardinas’ hit.
Hendricks went six-plus innings, striking out eight and allowing three runs and four hits.
Peralta shut down
The Milwaukee Brewers will go with a six-man, all-rookie rotation for the final week-and-a-half of the season. Wily Peralta has been shut down for the rest of the season after a strained Oblique muscle acted up again. He finishes the season with a 5-10 record in twenty starts.
Lucroy cleared to return
Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy, out with a concussion since taking a foul-tip off his mask on Sept. 8 in Miami, was cleared medically to return to action.
The agreement was that Lucroy would not catch again this season to avoid taking another shot off the mask and possible recurrence of the concussion. Lucroy is expected to see some time at first base against left-handed pitchers.
Brewers vs. Cardinals
The Brewers open a four-game series in St. Louis tonight against the Cardinals. Taylor Jungmann (9-6, 3.31 ERA) will face the Cardinals looking for his first win since September 3. Jungmann has no-decisions in his last two outings during which he has given up nine earned runs.