MILWAUKEE — A four-run eighth inning helped the Chicago Cubs break open a tight game and cruise to a 7-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers Monday afternoon at Miller Park.
Chris Coghlan drove in a pair of those runs, and three on the day, while going 2-for-2 after entering the game as a pinch-hitter in the seventh.
Chicago also got two hits each from Jorge Soler, Javier Baez and Miguel Montero.
Reigning National League Pitcher of the Month Kyle Hendricks continued his recent run of success, holding Milwaukee to five hits and two runs with six strikeouts in six innings of work.
Hendricks (14-7) hasn’t allowed more than three earned runs in his last 19 starts.
Chris Carter’s solo home run in the second was the only run allowed by Hendricks.
Kyle Davies allowed three runs — two earned – on six hits and a pair of walks in 6 2/3 innings of work.
Davies (10-7) blanked the Cubs through his first five innings but Soler tied the game at 1 with an RBI single in the sixth. After Davies retired the first two batters in the seventh, Montero doubled and scored on Coghlan’s first hit of the day, putting the Cubs ahead, 2-1.
Coghlan scored when Scooter Gennett flipped over trying to field Tommy La Stella’s chopper in the hole at second, making it a 3-1 game and bringing Davies’ day to an end.
The Cubs piled on in the eighth, putting four straight batters on against Ben Rowen with three singles and an error that extended the lead to 5-1. Coghlan wrapped up the inning with a two-run single off Rob Scahill.
Ryan Braun hit a solo home run off Jake Buchanan in the ninth.
NOTES: The Cubs are expected to announce a batch of September call-ups after the minor league season ends Tuesday, manager Joe Maddon said. … Maddon added that RHP Hector Rondon would likely be activated from the disabled list during the Cubs’ series in Milwaukee. Rondon has been out since Aug. 17 with a strained right triceps. … The Brewers brought a four-game winning streak into play Monday, matching their season high. They haven’t had a five-game winnings streak since Aug. 30-Sept. 5 of last year. … Chicago has won five in a row against the Brewers, including a four-game sweep last month at Wrigley Field. The Cubs are 9-3 against Milwaukee in 2016 and are 34-16 against their NL Central rivals since the start of the 2014 season.