:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/36819506/20140811_pjc_bb6_121.JPG.0.jpg)
Win: Yovani Gallardo (7-6)
Loss: Jake Arrieta (6-4)
Save: Francisco Rodriguez (36)
HR: Mark Reynolds (20)
When the Brewers started off the 2014 season with a 21-10 record, it seemed like the team got exactly what they needed when they needed it. By that I mean there would be days when the pitching would be excellent when the offense wasn't scoring runs. Other days, the lineup would put up eight runs as one of the starting pitchers faltered a bit and needed a pick-up.
There was a harmony to it. Things were clicking well, and it worked perfectly for the Brewers. Neither the offense nor the pitching was the best but they were both above-average and able to keep the team in any game. In the middle of the season, the Brewers had seemed to lose a bit of that. The two sides of the team weren't able to pick each other up as well.
Lately, however, Milwaukee seems to have re-found their harmony. They are now 12-8 over their last 20 games with a win in their series opener against the Cubs.
This time around, it was the pitching that picked up the hitting. The Brewers were only able to score three runs against the Cubs and Jake Arrieta, but Yovani Gallardo was once again outstanding and kept the young Cubs off the board.
Gallardo ended up pitching seven innings, allowing six hits and no walks while striking out six. The only run against him came in the fifth when Chris Coghlan hit a two-out double to score Justin Ruggiano. The only other time the Cubs had a runner in scoring position was in the fourth inning when Javier Baez led off with a double but failed to score. Gallardo has now allowed just five earned runs over 25.2 innings in his last four starts.
Meanwhile the Brewers' offense was pretty well stymied by Arrieta. Milwaukee scored first blood in the second when Mark Reynolds launched a solo home run.
The Brewers wouldn't get another hit until the seventh inning, when Ryan Braun led off with a single, then stole second on an Aramis Ramirez strikeout. Unfortunately, Braun was then thrown out at home on a Scooter Gennett double on a play that was reviewed and upheld after Ron Roenicke challenged that catcher Welington Castillo was blocking the plate. Khris Davis helped amend that mistake, however, hitting his own double to bring in Gennett safely and give Milwaukee a 2-1 lead.
Scooter Gennett would single home Aramis Ramirez in the top of the ninth to give the Brewers an insurance run before Francisco Rodriguez shut down the Cubs in the bottom of the ninth to record his 36th save.
