Nieuwenhuis hits 2 home runs, Brewers top Cubs 6-1

MILWAUKEE — Kirk Nieuwenhuis hit two home runs, Zach Davies took a shutout into the seventh inning and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Chicago Cubs 6-1 on Saturday night.

Jonathan Lucroy also homered, giving Milwaukee the lead with a two-run shot in the first off John Lackey (7-7). Nieuwenhuis led off the fourth with a homer to center field, extending Milwaukee's lead to 3-0. Niewenhuis' added a three-run homer to left in the eighth, marking his third career multi-homer game.

Davies (7-4) gave up one run and three hits in 6 1/3 innings. He struck out four and walked two.

Lackey, who has surrendered at least one home run in seven straight starts, gave up three runs and five hits in six innings.

Davies, who pitched seven scoreless innings in his last start, 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 two 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 of a carom and fired to Warren covering the plate, who tagged out a sliding Perez. The call was upheld after a review.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Cubs: Reliever Joe Nathan, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery, will join the club Sunday, manager Joe Maddon said. The 41-year-old Nathan has been on a 30-day rehab assignment in the Cubs minor-league system but hasn't appear in a major league game since April 6, 2015, with Detroit.

Brewers: OF Domingo Santana, on the DL since June 10 with right elbow soreness, started a rehab assignment Saturday with Class-A Wisconsin.

UP NEXT

Cubs: Jon Lester (10-4, 2.89) will start against the Brewers for the first time this season and first time ever at Miller Park. In five career starts versus Milwaukee he is 2-2 with a 2.22 ERA.

Brewers: Junior Guerra (6-2, 3.06) will make his second start of the season against the Cubs. Guerra earned the victory in a May 15 start at Miller Park, giving up five hits and three runs over seven innings. He struck out a career-high 11 against Chicago.