Brewers blast their way past Cubs

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jason Rogers and Kris Bryant each hit his first career home run on Saturday night. Rogers celebrated a win to go along with it.

Gerardo Parra also homered and drove in four runs, and Jean Segura had a solo shot to lead the Milwaukee Brewers to a 12-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs.

Rogers hit a three-run shot to cap Milwaukee's five-run fifth inning that broke the game open and gave the Brewers an 11-4 lead.

"It was pretty cool," Rogers said. "It was really more of a relief. I've hit a lot of balls to the wall, but it was nice to finally hit one over. And for it to come in a win is even better."

Khris Davis kept up his hitting surge with three hits and three RBIs for Milwaukee, which finished with its season-high scoring total. Davis, who came into the series in a 1-for-18 slump and hitting just .209 on the season, was 4 for 5 in Friday's loss to the Cubs.

"I've been focusing on just having good at-bats," he said. "I am feeling good at the plate."

Brewers manager Craig Counsell said Davis is a good hitter.

"It seems like he flipped the switch and it's pretty good right now," Counsell said. "When Khris gets locked in, it's damaging. It's extra-base hits, he's driving in runs, he's scoring runs. You want him to be aggressive up there like he was tonight."

Milwaukee improved to 3-3 since Counsell took over as manager for the fired Ron Roenicke.

Kyle Lohse (2-4) gave up four runs and seven hits in five innings for the Brewers.

Lohse said he struggled, but was able to get through five innings.

"It's a little frustrating right now," he said. "I am going along great and then I have a tough inning. But I have some things to work on that I think is going to help it out."

Travis Wood (2-2) took the loss, allowing six runs — four earned — and six hits in four innings as the Cubs lost for the sixth time in eight games.

Chicago catcher David Ross pitched a scoreless eighth inning, with his fastest pitch at 76 mph.

Parra's first home run of the season, a two-run shot in the second inning, gave the Brewers a 2-0 lead.

Chicago came back to take a 3-2 lead in the third inning. Addison Russell singled, Dexter Fowler doubled and Bryant hit the first pitch he saw over the center-field fence for his first homer.

When Bryant came back to the dugout, all of the Cubs coaches and players had retreated to the clubhouse, leaving no one to greet him.

"They do that a lot of times with the rookies, so it was pretty funny that they all came in here," Bryant said. "They were all waiting over there by the door. And then, kind of like a mosh pit, punching me and all that kind of stuff. Yeah, it was fun."

Davis' two-run double and Parra's sacrifice fly in the third inning put the Brewers ahead 5-3.

Sterling Castro had an RBI single in the fourth inning pull the Cubs within one, but Segura's second home run of the season pushed the lead back to 6-4.

The Brewers broke the game open in the fifth inning. Davis' second RBI double and Martin Maldonado's sacrifice fly was followed by Rogers' shot to center field.

Parra's RBI single in the sixth inning closed out the scoring.