Brewers hit 5 HRS in 15-4 win over Cubs

[August 28, 2012]  CHICAGO (AP) -- Aramis Ramirez hit two of Milwaukee's five homers to lead the Brewers to a 15-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Monday night.

Ramirez, who played for the Cubs from 2003-11, hit a two-run shot in the fifth and a solo homer in the ninth as Milwaukee beat Chicago for the sixth straight time.

Ramirez's second homer followed a three-run shot by Ryan Braun that landed on Waveland Avenue, his NL-leading 35th of the season. Braun had four hits and five RBIs.

Corey Hart followed Ramirez with another shot that reached Waveland, giving Milwaukee back-to-back-to-back homers for the first time since Sept. 7, 2007 at Cincinnati.

The Brewers sent 14 batters to the plate and tacked on nine runs and eight hits in the ninth, finishing with a season-high 21 hits.

Utilityman Joe Mather got the final out of the inning for Chicago, the first position player to pitch for the Cubs since Gary Gaetti on July 3, 1999.

Carlos Gomez had four hits, including his 14th homer, and all nine Brewers in the starting lineup hit safely.

Marco Estrada (2-5) allowed three unearned runs over five innings and struck out eight. His only other victory this season came against the Cubs on Aug. 21, when he struck out nine in six innings.

Justin Germano (2-4) gave up five runs and 10 hits in five-plus innings and has lost to Milwaukee in two straight outings. He gave up seven runs in 4 2-3 innings against the Brewers in his last outing on Aug. 20.

All three ninth-inning homers came off Alex Hinshaw, who was pitching for the second time since being claimed off waivers from San Diego on Aug. 19.

Brett Jackson hit his third homer in four games and walked twice for Chicago. Alfonso Soriano added two doubles and drove in a run.

The Brewers improved to 18-5 against the Cubs since the 2011 All-Star break, while Chicago has dropped 19 of 25 overall since the July 31 trade deadline.

Milwaukee erased a two-run deficit on consecutive pitches in the fifth. Braun rolled a double just past the third base to score Rickie Weeks. Ramirez then clubbed Germano's first pitch into the bleachers in left to give the Brewers the lead.

Ramirez hit 239 homers in nine seasons during his time with the Cubs, but went 1 for 11 in his first series against his former team at Wrigley Field on April 9-11.

Ramirez, who is 8 for 16 with eight RBIs over his last four games, added an RBI double, his major league-leading 43rd double of the season.

Jackson, Chicago's rookie center fielder, hit his fourth homer leading off the sixth off Kameron Loe to cut the lead to 5-4.

NOTES: Cubs 3B Josh Vitters went 0 for 5 with three strikeouts, falling to 5 for 53 with 19 strikeouts since being recalled from Triple-A Iowa. . The Cubs acquired C Anthony Recker from Oakland for C/1B Blake Lalli and assigned him to Triple-A Iowa. Chicago also designated LHP Scott Maine for assignment. . The Cubs were looking to win consecutive games for the first time since winning three straight July 28-30.

[Associated Press]

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