Cubs Beat Brewers, Reds Blank Cardinals

By ESPN

After scuffling offensively over the first four games, the Chicago Cubs will return home to raise the World Series championship banner suddenly potent at the plate.

Kyle Schwarber and Ben Zobrist hit home runs and Jake Arrieta threw seven strong innings as the Cubs got double-digit hits for the second straight game and took the weekend series from the Milwaukee Brewers with a 7-4 victory Sunday.

Chicago scored four runs in the top of the first off Brewers starter Zach Davies (0-2) on a two-run double by Addison Russell and a two-run triple from Jason Heyward.

"Any time you can put early runs on the board, you have to take advantage of it," Russell said. "It puts the pitcher at ease and gets us in that mode of swinging the bat and taking some good pitches, and we did that today."

Arrieta (2-0) allowed just three hits with 10 strikeouts over seven innings, the only blemish on his line a three-run home run hit by Ryan Braun in the third.

"It was a mistake and he made me pay for it," Arrieta said. "But those things happen; bounce back. I don't think I gave up a hit after that."

The right-hander retired 13 of the 14 batters following Braun's home run, including a stretch of five consecutive strikeouts.

"He was really good today," Maddon said. "I thought great command of his fastball, really good curveball, outstanding curveball. He was just really on top of his game, I thought."

Schwarber connected for a solo homer off Davies in the second, but the right-hander did eventually settle in to set down 12 of the next 13 Cubs to get through the fifth inning.

"I was falling behind guys and leaving balls over the plate," Davies said. "It was a terrible first inning, but I battled through it."

Zobrist increased Chicago's lead to 6-3 with a homer off reliever Carlos Torres as part of a two-run seventh.

Milwaukee did not get a hit after Braun's home run in the third inning until Domingo Santana homered off Hector Rondon with two outs in the ninth. Cubs closer Wade Davis came on to get the final out.

Reds 8, Cardinals 0

Pitching well helps, Cincinnati starter Scott Feldman said. Getting a big lead makes a starter's job even easier.

Feldman allowed four hits and struck out six in six innings, and the Cincinnati Reds beat St. Louis 8-0 Sunday to take two of three from the Cardinals.

"My command was much better this time (than opening day)," Feldman said. "It makes it a lot easier when the guys come out and put all those runs on the board. They swung the bats great today against a really good pitcher."

Adam Duvall had three hits, including a home run, and two RBI for the Reds, who have won just five of their last 40 series at Busch Stadium.

All that past futility is just that -- in the past, Cincinnati manager Bryan Price said.

"We're just coming in here and playing baseball. We're not playing the ghosts or demons of series past," Price said. "We're just coming in here and playing baseball. And we have a better team than we've had in the past, with a lot of new faces."

St. Louis went 2-4 on its opening homestand and heads on a six-game trip to Washington and the New York Yankees.

Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said his team needs to find some consistency.

"After coming off a good game yesterday, we were hopeful that it would be the key to spark a good long roll," Matheny said. "We had trouble getting anything going today. We've got to keep searching for that really good rhythm."

Feldman left after the Cardinals put their first two runners on in the seventh. Blake Wood and Tony Cingrani completed a six-hitter.

Carlos Martinez (0-1) gave up six runs, five earned, and six hits in five-plus innings. He hit two batters, walked one and threw a wild pitch.

Duvall homered in the second, the first run off Martinez this season after 8 1/3 scoreless innings.

"He's got a good fastball," Duvall said about Martinez. "I wanted to try and stay square on him and not try to over-pull the ball because then it opens up the outer half. And with Yadi (Molina) back there, and with the two of them going, it's going to be a tough at-bat. I was able to get something to hit and put the barrel on it."

Zack Cozart tripled in a run in the fifth, and the Reds chased Martinez in the sixth as the Cardinals made three errors, including two on one play by third baseman Jhonny Peralta.

"I've made three or four errors sometimes in a game before," Peralta said. "It happens to everybody. Today, I made a really dumb play."

Martinez hit Jose Peraza with a pitch, threw a wild pitch and walked Joey Votto. Duvall singled for a 3-0 lead and Peralta allowed Eugenio Suarez's grounder to bounce off his glove, then threw the ball into right field for a double error as Votto scored.

Scott Schebler hit an RBI double off Brett Cecil, and a second run scored when right fielder Randal Grichuk fumbled the ball for an error as he tried to throw.

Votto homered leading off the ninth.

Twins 4, White Sox 1

After winning five of their first six games, the surprising Minnesota Twins have the best record in the American League. And they don't plan on looking back.

Miguel Sano and Jorge Polanco homered to back Ervin Santana's six scoreless innings as the Twins beat the Chicago White Sox 4-1 on Sunday for their best start since 2010.

Minnesota finished with the worst mark in the majors last season at 59-103.

"We have a lot of good defense, a lot of good offense right now," Santana said. "So we just have to keep it up and don't worry about the past."

Santana (2-0) held the White Sox to two singles and lowered his ERA to 0.69.

Jose Quintana (0-2) regrouped from a rough opening day start to allow two runs and strike out seven in 6 1/3 innings. Quintana, who has been the subject of trade speculation for the rebuilding White Sox, gave up six runs and three homers against Detroit in his season debut. Last year, he was an All-Star and set career bests for ERA (3.20) and strikeouts (181).

"I'm not happy because we don't have results," Quintana said.

Cody Asche's single in the second was Chicago's only hit until Jose Abreu singled in the sixth.

Santana has allowed four hits and one run in 13 innings this season.

"He makes it look easy at times," Twins manager Paul Molitor said.

Molitor said he wanted to conserve Santana, who threw 87 pitches, for the long season. That was OK with the right-hander.

"We're competing right now. Everything is going our way," Santana said.

Brandon Kintzler got four outs for his third save in three opportunities. With the bases loaded in the eighth, he hit Avisail Garcia with a pitch to bring in a run.

Kintzler was checked by a trainer in the ninth after issuing a leadoff walk. He had a cracked nail, according to Molitor.

"It was bleeding, but he said he was fine, and he kind of threw better than he did prior to that," Molitor said.

White Sox relievers had not permitted an earned run in 14 2/3 innings before Sano's two-run shot off Nate Jones in the eighth. Sano went 2 for 4 with a double and is 7 for 20 (.350) with two home runs this season.

Polanco hit his first home run leading off the seventh against Quintana. The left-hander has given up four homers in 11 2/3 innings.

Minnesota has won seven of 11 against the White Sox. The Twins lost their first game Saturday after they had a chance to start 5-0 for the first time since 1968.

Sunday, April 9 Scoreboard

Boston 7, Detroit 5

Tampa Bay 7, Toronto 2

New York Yankees 7, Baltimore 3

Philadelphia 4, Washington 3

Pittsburgh 6, Atlanta 5 (F/10)

Minnesota 4, Chicago  White Sox 1

Chicago Cubs 7, Milwaukee 4

Houston 5, Kansas City 4 (F/12)

Cincinnati 8, St. Louis 0

Texas 8, Oakland 1

Los Angeles Dodgers 10, Colorado 6

Los Angeles Angels 10, Seattle 9

Arizona 3, Cleveland 2

San Francisco 5, San Diego 3

New York Mets 5, Miami 2

Monday, April 10 Schedule (All Times Central)

Tampa Bay at New York Yankees, 12:05 p.m.

Boston at Detroit, 12:10 p.m.

Oakland at Kansas City, 3:15 p.m.

Arizona at San Francisco, 3:35 p.m.

Houston at Seattle, 4:10 p.m.

St. Louis at Washington, 6:05 p.m.

New York Mets at Philadelphia, 6:05 p.m.

Cincinnati at Pittsburgh, 6:05 p.m.

Los Angeles Dodgers at Chicago Cubs, 7 p.m.

San Diego at Colorado, 7:40 p.m.