MILWAUKEE -- Just 12 days ago, the Milwaukee Brewers had no answer for Travis Wood. In fact, they had no answer for just about any opposing pitcher.
A totally different offense than the one the Cubs left-hander shut down May 18, the Brewers chased Wood in the third inning and scored early and often Friday in an 11-5 rout of Chicago at Miller Park.
The Brewers left Wrigley Field less than two weeks ago having scored just two runs in their last 25 innings. Since being shut out by the Braves on May 20, Milwaukee has averaged 6.6 runs per game, scoring a season-high 11 runs Friday.
"We kind of hit a little rut there," Brewers second baseman Rickie Weeks said of the last time the Brewers faced Wood. "We couldn't scratch runs together at the right times. But during the series against Baltimore and the first game here we have been swinging the bat well."
Milwaukee's offensive surge throughout the lineup continued Friday, as Jean Segura, Ryan Braun and Weeks had three hits, while Khris Davis had two. The Brewers had 16 hits as a team in the series opener, giving them 10 or more hits in nine consecutive games, tying a franchise record last set in 2011.
Davis extended his hitting streak to eight games Friday, while Carlos Gomez has now hit safely in 10 straight.
"It's one of those rare occasions where everybody up and down the lineup is really swinging the bat," Braun said. "Typically you have a couple of guys swinging well and a couple of other guys not swinging the bat well. I said a few days ago that I thought we were a lot better than we had been up until that point in the season.
"It's certainly encouraging, but it is such a challenging game that you never make any assumptions that it is going to continue. You have to enjoy it while it lasts and hope everybody continues to put together good at-bats."
Braun provided the first blow in what turned into a five-run first inning for the Brewers, a two-run shot for his first home run at Miller Park since May 22 of last year. Davis, Weeks and Maldonado added run-scoring hits in the opening frame to stake starter Marco Estrada to a 5-0 lead.
The Brewers added single runs in the second and third before putting the game away with four runs on five hits in the fifth off reliever Carlos Villanueva.
"When you come out in the first inning like we did, that's outstanding," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. "It allows your pitcher to do some different things. Then we added to it, which a lot of times we've been scoring the first inning or the second inning and then we don't do much the rest of the game.
"So I was really happy to see us turn around the next inning and get another run, and then we just kept adding on. A lot of guys had big days today offensively."
The Brewers aren't that far removed from not being able to score runs unless they hit a home run, as evidenced by a frustrating offensive series at Wrigley Field two weeks ago.
Now the offense is clicking on all cylinders and the Brewers are back to sitting at 11 games over .500 with a four-game lead in the National League Central.
"I think it is contagious," Braun said of the offense. "It gives everybody else in the lineup more confidence when everybody is swinging the bat well. I think it helps everybody when there are guys on base because you kind of increase your intensity and focus a little bit.
"Then when the team isn't going well, I think it is human nature to try and pick each other up. When nobody is on base the only way to drive in a run is with a home run, whereas if you consistently have guys on base you are just trying to hit the ball hard and stay through the middle of the field. It's easier to stay within yourself."
Follow Andrew Gruman on Twitter
