Nico Hoerner sparked a three-run fifth inning to break a scoreless stalemate while Javier Assad pitched six shutout innings in the Chicago Cubs’ 5-0 victory over the visiting Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday.
Dansby Swanson added his fourth home run of the season as Chicago took the three-game series 2-1.
The Brewers, who had scored all eight of their runs of the series in the seventh inning or later entering Sunday, were unable to generate any threatening rallies in the series finale.
Assad (3-0) gave up just four hits and three walks, striking out four. Relievers Yency Almonte and Daniel Palencia followed his lead and kept the Brewers at bay in the combined shutout.
Almonte didn’t allow any hits or walks while striking out three batters in two innings of relief. Palencia closed the game, giving up one hit in the ninth and striking out two.
Milwaukee only had five hits on the afternoon as Chicago posted its third shutout win of the year.
Chicago had difficulties connecting against Milwaukee starter Freddy Peralta (3-1) in the early going. The Cubs had just one hit through the first four innings.
With runners on first and second in the bottom of the fifth, Hoerner got the Cubs on the board with a two-run double. He later scored on a wild pitch from Peralta to make it 3-0.
Peralta was pulled after five innings. He allowed three runs on three hits, with five strikeouts and six walks.
Swanson homered off Thyago Vieira in the sixth for the Cubs, and Christopher Morel followed up with an RBI single in the seventh inning to give Chicago a 5-0 lead.
The Brewers were unable to deliver the timely hit, and they left runners in scoring position in six innings. Milwaukee went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position for the game.
–Field Level Media
