Brewers pound season-high six homers, rout Cubs 11-1

MILWAUKEE - Hunter Renfroe hit two of Milwaukee’s season-high six home runs, Adrian Houser struck out six and scattered two hits over six shutout innings and the Brewers beat the Chicago Cubs 11-1 Friday night.

Houser (2-2) struck out six and walked two.

"He came out of the gate and was really, really crisp," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "The stuff was electric, almost as good as we’ve seen it."

Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks (1-2), who held Milwaukee to a run with seven strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings on opening day, couldn’t get out of the fifth on Friday. The right-hander gave up six runs, tying a season high, allowing seven hits with two walks and two strikeouts.

Hendricks also served up three home runs, starting with Jace Peterson’s two-run blast that capped off a three-run second inning.

"It just didn’t look he could finish," Cubs manager David Ross said. "They put some pretty good swings on belt-line pitches and were able to get to him."

Andrew McCutchen made it a 4-0 game with a one-out solo shot in the third, and Christian Yelich broke the game open when he followed Willy Adames’ double with his second home run of the season in the fifth.

Renfroe hit his first of the game later in the fifth off left-hander Daniel Norris and added a second in the seventh against Sean Newcomb.

Adames capped off the offensive outburst with a two-run homer off Ethan Roberts in the eighth.

"It’s good to see the ball go over the fence for sure," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "We swung the bat really, really well."

BIG NIGHT

Friday marked the second time this season the Brewers scored double-digit runs after scoring a season-high 12 Tuesday against the Pirates. They also fell one short of tying their season high of 14 hits, also set Tuesday against the Pirates.

"There are definitely going to be nights like tonight and there are going to be nights that are a little bit tougher," Yelich said. "Our lineup is definitely capable of doing it."

The Brewers’ six home runs surpassed their previous season high of three, set in a 5-4 victory over the Cubs on April 10 in Chicago. It was their most in a game since Aug. 17, 2019, when Milwaukee combined for seven over 14 innings in a 15-14 victory over the Nationals in Washington.

KER-PLUNK

Hendricks hit Brewers second baseman Kolten Wong with a 1-2 sinker in the first inning, marking the eighth time a player was hit by a pitch in the four games between the teams this season.

Going back to the start of the 2020 season, Cubs and Brewers pitchers have hit 54 batters -- 27 by each team. The numbers this season are also equal, with each team hitting the other four times.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cubs: LHP Wade Miley is scheduled to throw his second live batting practice session Sunday in Milwaukee. Miley has yet to make a start after beginning the season on the injured list. He reported no issues after a 46-pitch live batting practice session earlier in the week.

Brewers: Infielder Luis Urias (left quad) went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts Friday night as he continued a minor league rehab assignment with Double-A Biloxi.

UP NEXT

It will be a battle of left-handers when the Brewers’ Eric Lauer (1-0, 2.20 ERA) and Chicago’s Justin Steele face off Saturday in Game 2 of the three-game weekend series.