Eric Thames
The Milwaukee Brewers pushed their record to 6-1 on their current nine-game road trip, knocking off the Chicago Cubs 6-3 on Monday night at Wrigley Field.
Ryan Braun, Jett Bandy and Eric Thames all homered for the Brewers in the win.
Thames went 3 for 4 and has now homered six times in his last five games, to move into a tie for the major league lead with seven for the season. As a team, the Brewers have hit a big league leading 25.
Ryan Braun clubbed a two run homer in the first inning, driving in Thames who had doubled. Jett Bandy led off the second with his second homer of the season.
After the Cubs tied the game 3-3 on Albert Almora Jr.’s two-run double in the bottom of the second, Thames put the Brewers back in front for good. With home runs in five straight games, Thames tied Jeromy Burnitz for the longest such streak in franchise history. As a team, the Brewers now have home runs in nine straight games.
Ryan Braun’s RBI double in the 8th inning increased the lead to 5-3. Braun then stole third and scored on a throwing error by Willson Contreras. Braun passed Paul Molitor for second place on the Brewers all-time list with 652 extra-base hits.
Chase Anderson pitched five innings, allowing three runs on seven hits to improve to 2-0. Neftali Feliz worked the ninth inning for his fifth save of the season.
The Brewers and Cubs play game two of their series tonight (7:05 p.m.). Jimmy Nelson (1-0, 1.38) gets the start for the Brewers. He faces Cubs lefty Brett Anderson (1-0, 0.84) in the pitching matchup.
AUDIO: Craig Counsell on Chase Anderson’s outing :15
AUDIO: Craig Counsell on Eric Thames of late :20