Brewers beat Cubs 4-3 in 10 innings
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Norichika Aoki homered twice, including off Casey Coleman to lead off the 10th inning to give the Milwaukee Brewers a 4-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Thursday.
The former Japanese batting champion entered the game with one homer, an inside-the-park homer on April 20.
Aoki was mobbed by his teammates at home plate.
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Corey Hart hit a game-tying RBI double in the eighth for the Brewers, who took two out of three games from their NL Central rivals.
Bryan LaHair temporarily gave Chicago the lead with a pinch-hit home run in the eighth and Koyie Hill added an RBI double for the Cubs. Coleman (0-1) took the loss.
John Axford (1-2) earned the win.
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Brewers starter Randy Wolf gave up four hits and two walks, striking out six.
Cubs starter Matt Garza went six innings, giving up three hits and two runs with a walk and six strikeouts.
With the Cubs trailing 2-1 and two outs in the eighth, Alfonso Soriano singled. LaHair then pinch hit for Jeff Baker, and pounded a pitch from Francisco Rodriguez deep to right-center field to give the Cubs a 3-2 lead. It was LaHair's second career pinch-hit home run.
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Aoki legged out an infield hit to start the bottom of the eighth, then went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Carlos Gomez.
Ryan Braun flew out, but Hart doubled to tie the game.
Aramis Ramirez, who has been out since Saturday with a left quadriceps strain, appeared as a pinch hitter but was walked intentionally. Pitcher Zack Greinke pinch ran for Ramirez but didn't go anywhere, as Rickie Weeks struck out to end the inning.
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Garza didn't allow a hit until the fourth, when Aoki led off and hit a 1-1 pitch over the wall in right field to give Milwaukee a 1-0 lead.
Aoki's solo shot in the fourth inning was his second home run this season — but the first one that actually left the ballpark.
The Brewers had another chance in the fifth after Weeks reached base on a fielding error by first baseman Jeff Baker, Garza walked Cody Ransom, and Edwin Maysonet sacrificed the runners to second and third. But Wolf hit a sharp liner that was caught by second baseman Darwin Barney, and Aoki grounded out to end the inning.
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Milwaukee added another run in the sixth, when Corey Hart hit a two-out double and Kottaras drove him in with a single to put the Brewers up 2-0.
The Cubs had a chance in the seventh when Baker led off with a walk and Joe Mather reached base on a fielding error by third baseman Ransom.
Wolf got Ian Stewart to hit into a double play, but Hill hit an RBI double to cut the Brewers' lead to 2-1.
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Notes: Ryan Braun had a rare moment of frustration at the plate in the first inning. After lunging at a pitch to strike out and end the inning, Braun tossed his bat high in the air and slammed his helmet on the ground. ... A play originally ruled an error on Stewart later was changed to a base hit by Braun. ... Ransom's error broke a nine-game errorless streak for the Brewers.