Cain, Chacin pace Brewers past Cubs 1-0

MILWAUKEE — Lorenzo Cain homered and Jhoulys Chacin combined with three relievers on a six-hitter to give the Milwaukee Brewers their second straight shutout of the Chicago Cubs, 1-0 on Wednesday.

Chacin (6-1) allowed four hits in six innings, striking out seven and walking four to win his sixth consecutive decision. Jeremy Jeffress pitched the seventh, Josh Hader struck out the side in the eighth and Cory Knebel finished with a perfect ninth for his sixth save.

Mike Montgomery (2-2) allowed only two hits in six innings, both by Cain. He struck out four and walked one in his fourth start since replacing injured Yu Darvish in the rotation.

Cain drove a 3-1 pitch over the wall in left with one out in the third for his eighth homer. He also opened the first inning with a single.

The Brewers improved to 3-8 this season against the Cubs and moved 1 ½ games ahead of second-place Chicago in the N.L. Central.

The Cubs won Monday's series opener 7-2 with five runs in the 11th, but managed just two hits in Tuesday's 4-0 loss.

The Brewers stranded runners at third in each of the first two innings. In the second, rightfielder Jason Heyward prevented a run, charging in for a sensational sliding grab on Erik Kratz's one-out sinking liner and then recovering quickly to hold Hernan Perez at third.