MILWAUKEE -- With two of their best hitters on the bench, the Brewers beat longtime nemesis Jason Hammel on Thursday for an unlikely series victory over the first-place Cubs.
Junior Guerra became the first Brewers starter to log double-digit strikeouts and Chris Carter and Kirk Nieuwenhuis homered in Milwaukee's 5-3 win at Miller Park. The Brewers took two of three games from a Cubs club that had won 14 of the previous 15 matchups dating to last season, including five games in a row.
Hammel entered the day 8-0 in 11 career starts against Milwaukee, but he absorbed his first-ever loss to the Brewers lineup absent Ryan Braun (back) and Domingo Santana (shoulder).