Ryan Braun (file photo)
There’s been considerable talk about the Milwaukee Brewers starting pitching rotation, but the teams offense has been the biggest disappointment of late.
The Brewers fell to 1-4 on their 9-game road trip after falling to the Chicago Cubs 4-1 at Wrigley Field on Saturday afternoon. In the teams four losses on the road trip, the Brewers have scored a total of eight runs.
In three straight losses, the Brewers have gone 3-for-21 (.143) with runners in scoring position. During the last six games (one win), the Brewers have played a total of 16 runs, a little more than 2 1/2 runs a game on average.
Ryan Braun knocked in the lone Brewers run on Saturday, a run scoring single in the sixth off of Cubs reliever David Phelps.
Gio Gonzalez was pulled before reaching five full innings, but he had pitched well to that point, allowing only a single run.
Cubs lefty Cole Hamels was solid in his return from the injured list, pitching five shutout innings before giving way to the bullpen.
Albert Almora, Jr., snapped a 1-1 tie in the seventh with a home run against Junior Guerra. The Cubs scored two more runs in the eighth off of Freddy Peralta for the 4-1 win.
The Brewers will try to avoid the sweep on Sunday afternoon, sending Adrian Hauser to the mound against Chicago’s Yu Darvish.