Castillo, Valbuena help Cubs beat Brewers 4-2

Castillo, Valbuena help Cubs beat Brewers 4-2

Published Sep. 1, 2014 5:35 p.m. ET
5c91ed9d-

CHICAGO (AP) -- Jorge Soler has never lacked confidence. Even before being promoted to the major leagues last week, the Cuban slugger declared this season to be "his time."

But his blistering start with the Chicago Cubs has caught even him off-guard.

Soler doubled twice and scored a run in his Wrigley Field debut as the Cubs beat Milwaukee 4-2 Monday, handing the Brewers their sixth straight loss and knocking them out of the NL Central lead.

ADVERTISEMENT

Soler became just the third player in the last 100 years to get at least one extra-base hit in each of his first five games in the majors. Will Middlebrooks did it for Boston in 2012 and Enos Slaughter for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1938.

So far, Soler is batting .526 with three homers and seven RBIs.

"I have been a little bit surprised," he said through a translator. "I expected it to go well, but not as well as it's gone so far."

Welington Castillo and Luis Valbuena homered to back Justin Turner (5-8).

Turner won in just his second start for Chicago after being acquired from Miami last month. The right-hander allowed just one run and five hits in 6 1-3 innings.

It was a much better result than his first start in Cincinnati last week in which he allowed five runs in four innings.

"It's definitely a step in the right direction," Turner said. "For me, getting that fresh start and just kind of resetting after the ups and downs of this season has been huge."

Hector Rondon pitched the ninth for his 23rd save in 27 chances.

Jimmy Nelson (2-6), called up from the minors to make the start, gave up three runs in six innings.

"He made a couple mistakes, but I thought it was pretty good," Milwaukee manager Ron Roenicke.

The Brewers fell one game behind division-leading St. Louis.

The Cubs took a 1-0 lead in the second inning as Soler doubled with one out and scored on Castillo's broken-bat single.

Castillo then extended the advantage to 3-0 in the fourth with a line-drive into the left-field bleachers. It was his 11th homer of the season.

Soler led off the sixth with a double off the wall in right-center field and raced to third when center fielder Gerardo Parra bobbled the ball for an error. Soler was left on third as the next three Cubs batters failed to get the ball out of the infield.

Khris Davis homered in the Milwaukee seventh, finishing Turner. Parra then homered on the first pitch from reliever Blake Parker, making it 3-2.

Valbuena homered in the eighth. 

share