Lackey surrenders 2 homers, Cubs lose to Brewers 6-1
MILWAUKEE — A key first-inning matchup turned out to be costly for Chicago Cubs pitcher John Lackey when he surrendered a 2-run homer to Jonathan Lucroy during a lengthy at-bat.
“Lucroy put a good at-bat on me,” Lackey said. “I made a lot of good pitches in that at-bat and he finally got into one.”
Kirk Nieuwenhuis hit 2 home runs, Zach Davies took a shutout into the seventh inning and the Brewers beat the Cubs 6-1 on Saturday night.
Lucroy's homer in the first off Lackey (7-7) staked the Brewers to an early lead that they wouldn't relinquish.
“He let one come back over the middle a little bit, and I was able to square it up,” Lucroy said. “It was a tough at bat, and I think I tired him out and he finally let one leak back out a little bit.”
Nieuwenhuis led off the fourth with a homer to center field, extending Milwaukee's lead to 3-0.
“They hit a couple of home runs but I thought (Lackey) threw the ball really well,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said.
Lackey, who has surrendered at least one home run in seven straight starts, gave up 3 runs and 5 hits in 6 innings.
“He challenges with his fastball and sometimes they'll hit it out,” Maddon said. “The ball Lucroy hit was really well struck. Johnny's just an aggressive sort, that's really what it comes down to.”
Nieuwenhuis' added a three-run homer to left in the eighth.
Davies (7-4) gave up 1 run and 3 hits in 6⅓ innings.
Davies retired 10 consecutive batters before yielding a single to Ben Zobrist leading off the seventh. Zobrist scored on Addison Russell's single off Will Smith, who relieved Davies with one out in the inning.
The Brewers loaded the bases with 2 outs in the third but Lackey escaped by striking out Chris Carter.
Milwaukee threatened again in the seventh, putting runners on second and third with one out. Cubs reliever Adam Warren then fired a pitch over catcher Willson Contreras' glove. With Hernan Perez racing down the third-base line attempting to score, Contreras retrieved the ball off a carom and fired to Warren covering the plate, who tagged out a sliding Perez. The call was upheld after a review.