MILWAUKEE (AP) — Pete Crow-Armstrong and Dansby Swanson hit back-to-back homers off Jose Quintana in the fourth inning as the Chicago Cubs defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 6-2 on Saturday night.
Kyle Tucker also went deep to help the NL Central-leading Cubs beat the two-time defending division champions for a second straight night. Chicago’s Jameson Taillon (2-1), Julian Merryweather and Brad Keller combined on a four-hitter.
Quintana (4-1) had allowed a total of three runs and one homer over 23 2/3 innings in his first four starts with the Brewers, but he gave up six runs and three homers in five innings Saturday.
Crow-Armstrong’s three-run shot to right-center broke a 1-all tie in the fourth inning and gave him nine homers this season. Crow-Armstrong homered twice in the Cubs’ 10-0 victory over the Brewers on Friday.
Swanson followed by swinging at a 3-0 pitch and producing a 391-foot drive to left-center.
Milwaukee’s Rhys Hoskins cut Chicago’s lead to 5-2 in the bottom of the fourth by hitting a solo shot that Brewers reliever Trevor Megill caught with his cap in the bullpen. Tucker answered by leading off the fifth with a 372-foot drive into the right-field seats.
The Brewers’ other run came in the third, when Jackson Chourio hit a two-out double and came home on Brice Turang’s single. That ended the Brewers’ string of 21 straight scoreless innings.
Taillon struck out five and allowed two runs, three hits and one walk in six innings.
Key moment
Crow-Armstrong’s tiebreaking homer was a 398-foot shot on a 3-2 fastball. Two of his three homers in this series have come on two-strike counts. He sent a 1-2 changeup over the center-field wall in the second inning Friday.
Key stat
The Brewers are 0-12 when their opponent scores first.
Up next
Left-hander Shota Imanaga (3-1, 2.77 ERA) pitches for Chicago and right-hander Freddy Peralta (3-2, 2.52) starts for Milwaukee as the Cubs attempt to complete a sweep Sunday.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
