Miller Park Slump Continues for Cubs

Milwaukee 9, Chicago 3

The Miller Park misery rolls on for the Chicago Cubs.

Rickie Weeks homered twice, drove in four runs and scored three times Tuesday night as Milwaukee beat Chicago 9-3.

The Brewers have defeated the Cubs 19 of the last 21 times at home, including nine in a row.

"We lost nine straight?" Chicago's Anthony Rizzo said. "(I had) no idea. I don't know if anyone in this clubhouse knows that so ."

Weeks had one hit in the first five games against Chicago this season. But that was when he was in a miserable slump. Now, Weeks is on a nine-game hitting streak in which he's batting .438 (14 for 32) with four homers and seven RBI.

"It feels good," said Weeks after his seventh career multi-homer game and first since Sept. 5, 2012. "It's just one of those things where you keep working on things, and just go out there and play ball. There's no satisfaction. There's no big answer. Just go out there and play ball like I've been doing."

Jonathan Lucroy added a two-run double and Juan Francisco also homered for Milwaukee

Kyle Lohse (3-6) gave up eight hits and three earned runs in seven innings. He struck out three and did not walk a batter.

Chicago's Edwin Jackson (3-10) allowed six earned runs and six hits in 4 2-3 innings to fall to 0-3 against Milwaukee this season.

"From the get-go, he didn't have much of a fastball," Chicago manager Dale Sveum said. "He averaged 92 mph. It is going to be tough for him to pitch with that velocity."

Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro, mired in a 13-for-98 (.133) slump, had his streak of appearing in 269 consecutive games come to an end. It was the longest active streak in the National League.

Milwaukee, 5-1 against Chicago this season, scored five runs in the fifth to erase a 3-1 deficit. Jackson, who has walked at least one batter in every game this season, issued one to Francisco to start the inning and he scored on a double to left-center field by Weeks.

Rookie Caleb Gindl collected his first run batted in on a single to center that tied the score at 3-3.

Jean Segura made it 4-3 on a double to right, his N.L.-leading 100th hit of the year.

Lucroy followed with a single to left field to give his team a 6-3 lead and chase Jackson out of the game.

"I put myself in a position to get out of that inning with one run and still a 3-2 game," Jackson said. "I wasn't able to put those guys away. Balls up, balls getting too much of the plate with two strikes."

Hector Rondon gave up a leadoff double to Francisco in the sixth before Weeks' homered to right for an 8-3 lead.

"When he's driving it the other way, he's going to be a tough out," Milwaukee manager Ron Roenicke said. "He's swinging the bat better, no question."

The second baseman added a solo blast to deep center for a 9-3 lead in the eighth.

Francisco's solo homer, his seventh, came in the second.

In the third, Chicago took a 3-1 lead on Nate Schierholtz's three-run homer to right, his 11th of the season.

"He just got one pitch," Lohse said. "That happens in this game. I thought I made a pretty good pitch. It just came back a little bit over the middle. I've got to give it to our defense and offense. They picked me up. Usually you give up some runs early like that, it's tough to come back."

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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