Making just his second start in place of the injured Matt Garza, 29-year-old right hander Mike Fiers blanked the Chicago Cubs on 3-hits while striking out a career high 14 batters in six innings as the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Cubs 6-2. The Brewers salvaged a split of the four game series and remain 2-games in front of the Cardinals and 2 1/2-games in front of the Pirates atop the NL Central Division.
Fiers (2-1) struck out the side in three different innings and became the first Brewers pitcher to record double-digit strikeouts since Sept. 30, 2012.
The 14 strikeouts tied Yovani Gallardo and Moose Haas for the second-most strikeouts in franchise history, behind Ben Sheets’ 18.
Fiers ERA, which includes four relief appearances from earlier this season, fell to 1.29.
Cubs starter Edwin Jackson issued back-to-back two-out walks in the first inning and Scooter Gennett made him pay, clubbing a double off the wall in right-center to give the Brewers a 2-0 lead.
Mark Reynolds and Khris Davis homered in the Brewers victory.
Zach Duke replaced Fiers and gave up a two-run single to left by Cubs pinch-hitter Chris Valaika to make it 5-2 Milwaukee. Duke should have been out of the inning after getting the first two outs in the 7th. Elian Herrera committed a throwing error which allowed the Cubs to extend the inning.
Reynolds clubbed his team leading 21st home run in the 8th to push the Brewers lead back to four runs at 6-2.
The Brewers now head to Los Angeles to open a 3-game weekend series against the Dodgers tonight.