Jorge Soler added a pair of RBIs for the Cubs, who have won three straight to reach 72 wins for the first time since 2010. Rookie Eric Jokisch gave up two runs (one earned) over four innings, Neil Ramirez (3-3) worked a perfect seventh for the win and Hector Rondon breezed through a 1-2-3 ninth for his 28th save.
Jean Segura homered among three hits and scored twice for the Brewers, who were 2-for-18 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11. Starter Jimmy Nelson (2-9) gave up five runs and six hits in 4 1/3 innings to suffer the loss as Milwaukee dropped within two games of .500.
Coghlan started the game with his eighth career leadoff homer, but Segura tied it in the second with his first blast since June 20. Baez put the Cubs on top for good with an RBI single in the third and scored on Soler's RBI groundout, and Jokisch worked out of trouble in the third and fourth to preserve a one-run lead.
Baez singled home a run and came around on Anthony Rizzo's RBI double in the fifth to give Chicago a 5-2 lead, and Milwaukee's Carlos Gomez and Soler exchanged RBI singles to make it 6-3. The Brewers got one back on Rickie Weeks' run-scoring grounder in the eighth, but Pedro Strop struck out Ryan Braun to strand Weeks and preserve the lead.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Cubs manager Rick Renteria was ejected in the bottom of the eighth for arguing with second-base umpire Jeff Nelson — his sixth early exit of the season. … The Cubs have won 10 of 17 meetings in 2014, clinching their first season series over Milwaukee since 2010. … Segura's homer ended a span of 255 plate appearances without going deep.
Chi. Cubs | Milwaukee | |
Eric Jokisch | Player | Jimmy Nelson |
No Decision | W/L | Loss |
4.0 | IP | 4.1 |
2 | Strikeouts | 4 |
3 | Hits | 6 |
2.25 | ERA | 10.38 |
Chi. Cubs | Milwaukee | |
Javier Baez | Player | Jean Segura |
3 | Hits | 3 |
2 | RBI | 1 |
0 | HR | 1 |
3 | TB | 7 |
.600 | Avg | .750 |