Cubs aim for sweep at Miller Park with same lineup

Milwaukee has lost the first three games of the series against the Cubs and nine of the team’s last 11 games.

Hammel beat Milwaukee for the seventh consecutive decision with his first win overall in nearly two months and Anthony Rizzo homered to lead the Chicago Cubs past the rebuilding Brewers 4-1 on Friday night.

He has gone 2-9 in his last 14 starts with a 6.60 ERA; 0-4 with a 6.57 ERA in his last five, all but eliminating any value he may have had at the trade deadline. Milwaukee (44-61) has allowed 79 home runs at Miller Park this season while hitting 52 of their own at home.

“I like pitching here”, Hammel said. “I’m feeling really good right now”.

He threw 103 pitches, 66 for strikes. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. Connecticut. “And it is what it is”. Toward the end was really the only time I felt like I had consistent command of multiple pitches. He allowed four runs twice (four earned once) and six runs once.

Garza was able to escape by inducing a ground out off the bat of Starlin Castro and striking out Hendricks. “When you’re out there, you’ve got to produce”.

Hector Rondon pitched the ninth for his 15th save.

The left-hander still had an afternoon to remember, lining an RBI double to left in the fourth just over the glove of leaping third baseman Hernan Perez to give the Cubs a 3-1 lead. Joe Maddon got ejected.

“We’re just not swinging the bats well enough”, said manager Craig Counsell, whose team has totaled five runs during a four-game skid. “I mean, that’s who he is”.

Rizzo opened the second half with a 7-for-46 slump that featured no home runs as the Cubs limped to a 5-7 record in the 12 games following the Midsummer Classic, but he began to find his stroke with a two-run blast in a series-clinching victory over Colorado on Wednesday. Addison Russell lofted a two-out single into center, scoring Jorge Soler, who reached on an error to start the inning.

Chicago picked up a pair of veteran right-handers.

Parra is on a career-best 13-game hitting streak, which could help entice a contender to make a move for the free-agent-to-be before Friday’s trade deadline.

Ramirez was traded to Pittsburgh.

Signed to a three-year, $33 million contract during the final week of spring training in 2013, Lohse had been a steadying force in Milwaukee’s rotation.

The Chicago Cubs have acquired reliever Tommy Hunter from the Baltimore Orioles for outfielder Junior Lake.

Rizzo is batting. 446 with eight home runs and 19 RBIs during a 15-game hitting streak against Milwaukee. Montero has been on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained left thumb since July 17. Carlos Gomez was traded to Houston, while fellow outfielder Gerardo Parra was traded to Baltimore.

Cubs: RHP Kyle Hendricks (4-5, 3.81 ERA) makes his 21st start. 500 for the third time this season. Garza is 1-5 in his last seven starts and his 12th loss of the season tied a career high from 2009 with Tampa Bay.

CF Dexter Fowler extended his on-base streak to 16 games with a walk in the fifth inning.

Yankees 13, White Sox 6: Mark Teixeira hit a grand slam off rookie Carlos Rodon and a two-run homer off reliever Matt Albers to boost the Yankees to a win over the White Sox in Chicago.