BREWERS BOMB SAMARDZIJA, CUBS

Multi-Hit Games for 7 Brewers

MILWAUKEE, June 1 (AP) - The Milwaukee Brewers scored eight runs in the bottom of the first inning and went on to crush the Chicago Cubs 16-3 at Miller Park.  The eight-run first inning matches the largest opening frame output in any game this season (the Colorado Rockies scored eight first inning runs on April 7 at Coors Field against the Chicago White Sox).  The 16 runs and 21 hits amassed by the Brewers are both easily high marks for the clubs this season.  Seven different Brewers players banged out at least two hits, led by Jonathan Lucroy who was credited with four safeties in the contest.

Cubs starter Jeff Samardzija was tagged for 11 runs (nine earned) in less than two innings of work, matching the largest number of runs allowed by a pitcher in a single game this year.  Lucas Harrell of the Houston Astros surrendered 11 runs to the Toronto Blue Jays on April 9.

After Milwaukee starter Kyle Lohse held Chicago scoreless in the top of the first, the Brewers wasted no time seizing firm control of the game.  The first eight batters all reached base safely; it was the first time this season in the major leagues that a team has seen its first eight hitters reach safely.  Jean Segura opened the inning by reaching on an infield hit and Ryan Braun followed by rolling a triple into the right field corner, scoring Segura to give Milwaukee a 1-0 lead.  Lucroy then grounded a single into right, plating Braun for a 2-0 advantage and Carlos Gomez's base hit through the box put runners on first and second.  Khris Davis followed with a double to right center, scoring Lucroy and advancing Braun to third.  Scooter Gennett then lined a ball off of Samardzija's glove for an infield hit, scoring Gomez and moving Davis to third.  It was now 4-0 in favor of the Brewers.  A passed ball charged to Cubs catcher Wellington Castillo allowed Davis to score the fifth run and advanced Gennett to second.  Back-to-back walks to Mark Reynolds and Lyle Overbay loaded the bases and Lohse then lifted a sacrifice fly to left, for the first out of the inning, scoring Gennett.  And then, the coup de grace:  Segura lifted a routine fly to left field that Junior Lake botched for a two-base error, allowing another run to score.  Braun's sacrifice fly to center plated Overbay with the eighth run of the frame before Lucroy finally grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Cubs, to their momentary credit, didn't quit and scored three runs in the top of the second off Lohse.  Nate Schierholtz led off with a base hit and, one out later, advanced to third on Mike Olt's single.  Darwin Barney's triple to right-center plated both runners and Barney scored when Samardzija grounded to short.

But if there was any doubt about the outcome of the game, Milwaukee put it to rest with three more runs in the second.  With one out, Davis doubled and Gennett drew a base on balls from Samardzija.  With the Chicago bullpen working furiously, Reynolds singled to left-center, scoring Davis to make the score 9-3 and advancing Gennett to third.  Cubs manager Rick Renteria had finally seen enough and pulled Samardzija but reliever Carlos Villanueva allowed both inherited runners to score, Gennett on a double off the bat of Overbay and Reynolds, a couple of batters later, on Segura's ground out.  The inning ended with the Brewers on top 11-3.

The Brewers added some unneeded padding in the fifth when Reynolds belted his 9th home run of the season off Cubs reliever Brian Schlitter.  The three-run blast gave Milwaukee a 14-3 advantage.  Davis' sixth inning base hit off Justin Grimm plated Braun with the club's 15th run and Braun's lead-off homer in the eighth off James Russell capped the scoring.

It's been a largely miserable season for Samardzija, who saw his record drop to 2-6.  He has now lost his fourth consecutive decision, having last posted a victory seven starts ago on April 23 at Arizona.  During the four-game losing streak--five total starts--Samardzija has posted an 11.29 ERA, having allowed 30 runs (28 earned) in 22 1/3 innings.

6/1/2014, ChN14-Mil14, Miller Park

                       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9     R  H  E   LOB DP

2014 Cubs              0  3  0  0  0  0  0  0  0     3  7  1     5  1

2014 Brewers           8  3  0  0  3  1  0  1  x    16 21  0    11  1

Cubs                 AB  R  H BI   AVG    Brewers              AB  R  H BI   AVG

Bonifacio         cf  4  0  0  0  .250    Segura            ss  6  1  2  1  .213

Lake              lf  4  0  1  0  .171     Falu             ss  0  0  0  0  .250

Rizzo             1b  3  0  0  0  .276    Braun             rf  5  3  3  3  .268

 Russell          p   0  0  0  0  .000     Kintzler         p   0  0  0  0  .000

Castro,S          ss  4  0  2  0  .285    Lucroy            c   5  2  4  1  .362

Schierholtz       rf  3  1  1  0  .198     Schafer,L        pr  0  0  0  0  .157

Castillo,W        c   3  0  0  0  .205    Gomez,C           cf  6  1  2  0  .296

 Grimm            p   0  0  0  0  .000    Davis,K           lf  6  2  3  2  .271

 Valbuena         3b  1  0  1  0  .228    Gennett           2b  4  3  1  1  .265

Olt               3b  4  1  1  0  .138     Wang             p   0  0  0  0  .000

Barney            2b  4  1  1  2  .202     Maldonado        ph  1  0  0  0  .163

Samardzija        p   1  0  0  1  .130    Reynolds          3b  4  3  3  4  .211

 Villanueva       p   0  0  0  0  .000     Herrera,E        3b  0  0  0  0  .326

 Coghlan          ph  1  0  0  0  .205    Overbay           1b  3  1  2  1  .233

 Schlitter        p   0  0  0  0  .000    Lohse             p   2  0  1  1  .185

 Baker,Jo         c   1  0  0  0  .135     Weeks,R          2b  1  0  0  0  .262

                     33  3  7  3                               43 16 21 14

Cubs                             INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA

Samardzija       L 2-6           1.1  8 11  9  3  0  53  30  5.79

Villanueva                       2.2  4  0  0  1  4  50  29  2.61

Schlitter                        1.1  5  4  4  1  1  33  20  6.52

Grimm                            1.2  2  0  0  1  1  28  15  2.10

Russell                          1.0  2  1  1  0  2  20  13  1.50

                                 8.0 21 16 14  6  8 184 107

Brewers                          INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA

Lohse            W 4-5           6.0  5  3  3  2  6  90  59  2.56

Wang             H 1             2.0  0  0  0  0  5  27  20  1.69

Kintzler                         1.0  2  0  0  0  0  21  13  5.89

                                 9.0  7  3  3  2 11 138  92

ChN: Coghlan batted for Villanueva in the 5th

     Baker,Jo inserted at c in the 6th

     Valbuena inserted at 3b in the 8th

     Olt moved to 1b in the 8th

Mil: Weeks,R inserted at 2b in the 7th

     Falu inserted at ss in the 8th

     Herrera,E inserted at 3b in the 8th

     Schafer,L ran for Lucroy in the 8th

     Maldonado batted for Wang in the 8th

     Schafer,L moved to rf in the 9th

     Maldonado moved to c in the 9th

E-Lake. 2B-Davis,K 2(14), Reynolds(6), Overbay(7), Lohse(1). 3B-Barney(1),

Braun(6). HR-Braun(7), Reynolds(9). RBI-Barney 2(10), Samardzija(1),

Segura(12), Braun 3(17), Lucroy(24), Davis,K 2(31), Gennett(24),

Reynolds 4(26), Overbay(12), Lohse(1). K-Bonifacio 2, Lake 2, Rizzo,

Castillo,W 2, Olt, Barney 2, Baker,Jo, Braun, Gomez,C 3, Davis,K 2, Reynolds,

Overbay. BB-Rizzo, Schierholtz, Lucroy, Gennett, Reynolds, Overbay 2, Lohse.

SF-Braun, Lohse. PB-Castillo,W 2, Baker,Jo. WP-Grimm.

GWRBI: Braun

Temperature: 82, Sky: clear, Wind: in from left at 16 MPH.

Attendance: 42,058

Game Time: 3:17