Milwaukee, WI – Ian Stewart and Reed Johnson both belted solo home runs and the Cubs pounded out 13 hits in an 8-2 victory over the Brewers in the finale of a three-game weekend series at Miller Park on Sunday.
Shawn Camp (1-1) earned the victory despite allowing a run on two hits and a walk after he entered in the sixth in place of starter Jeff Samardzija, who gave up one run on three hits and two walks while fanning six.
Tony Campana had three hits and an RBI, while Starlin Castro and Alfonso Soriano both knocked in a run as the Cubs snapped a 10-game losing streak in Milwaukee dating back to April 9, 2011.
"They kind of had our number here at Miller Park," remarked Samardzija. "I wanted to set the tone early and get us in the dugout so our hitters could get out there."
Kameron Loe (2-1) suffered the loss after giving up an unearned run in the seventh. Starter Marco Estrada yielded two runs on five hits over his six innings on the bump and Taylor Green knocked in two runs as the Brewers dropped to 5-2 against the Cubs this season.
The game was tied 2-2 in the seventh when Stewart crushed a ground-rule double with one out and came around to score two batters later when Darwin Barney reached on an error from shortstop Edwin Maysonet, whose throw to first was over the head of Green, giving Chicago a 3-2 lead.
"I don't think he was too quick with his throw," said Brewers manager Ron Roenicke about Maysonet's error. "He's got a strong arm. It's part of the game that's difficult when you don't play everyday."
Chicago added some insurance in the eighth as Campana smacked a one-out single and moved to second on a ground out. Campana then swiped third and after Bryan LaHair walked, he crossed home when Manny Parra uncorked a wild pitch.
Soriano then plated LaHair with a double into deep center field, giving Chicago a 5-2 cushion.
The Cubs blew the game open in the ninth as Geovany Soto ripped a leadoff double and Barney quickly plated him with a double of his own before Campana and Castro both smacked RBI singles to give the Cubs an 8-2 advantage.
Earlier, Milwaukee got on the board in the fourth after Ryan Braun worked a leadoff walk and Aramis Ramirez followed with a single. Corey Hart then bunted both runners over, and Green lifted a sacrifice fly into right for a 1-0 lead.
The Cubs tied the game in their next at-bat when Stewart belted a solo shot over the wall in right and then jumped in front in the sixth via the long ball as Johnson launched a pinch-hit leadoff homer into left-center field to give Chicago a 2-1 edge.
The Brewers responded with two outs in the sixth after Ramirez worked a walk and Hart followed with a double into left field. Green then slapped one deep in the hole to the shortstop Castro, whose throw to first was a split-second late as Green dove head first into first to beat the throw and Ramirez crossed home plate to tie the game at 2-2.
Game Notes
LaHair extended his streak of reaching base safely to 30 games with a walk in the top of the eighth. It's the longest such streak for a Cub since Derrek Lee's 30-game run from May 16-June 23, 2009...Johnson's homer was the 4th pinch-hit homer of his career and first this year.
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