Cubs 4, Brewers 0

[April 28, 2014]  MILWAUKEE — Cubs 4, Brewers 0: Starlin Castro hit a pair of home runs and Jason Hammel pitched seven scoreless innings as visiting Chicago salvaged the finale of a three-game series with Milwaukee.

Hammel (4-1) struck out seven and limited the Brewers to three hits and two walks before Pedro Strop pitched a perfect eighth and Hector Rondon struck out the side in a 1-2-3 ninth. Castro had a pair of solo homers among his three hits and Ryan Kalish and John Baker added two hits apiece for the Cubs, who snapped a four-game skid.

Carlos Gomez, Lyle Overbay and Rickie Weeks recorded hits for the Brewers, who lost for only the second time in nine games. The lack of offense sent Wily Peralta (3-1) to his first loss, as he allowed three runs on eight hits and struck out six over seven frames.

Castro led off the second by blasting a 2-0 fastball to center and the Cubs added another run on Darwin Barney's grounder later in the inning. Mike Olt's sacrifice fly tacked on a run in the sixth and Castro hit a line-drive shot out to left in the eighth for his second career multi-homer game.

Hammel didn't allow a hit until Gomez ripped a double inside the third-base bag with one out in the sixth. The right-hander then walked Scooter Gennett on four pitches before striking out Jonathan Lucroy and getting Aramis Ramirez to ground out to end the threat.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Ramirez went 1-for-23 during the Brewers' six-game homestand. … Baker was 0-for-18 for the season before his infield single in the second inning. … The Brewers had only two position players available on the bench with C Martin Maldonado still serving a five-game suspension and RF Ryan Braun (strained intercostal) and SS Jean Segura (facial laceration) injured.

[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.