CHICAGO _ There's little wiggle room left for the Cubs after a listless 5-1 loss to the Brewers that cut their lead to one game in the National League Central.
The Cubs managed only five hits in seven innings against Chase Anderson and three relievers. If that wasn't tough enough, left-hander Josh Hader struck out Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Javier Baez _ all on 97-mph fastballs.
Ben Zobrist was the lone Cubs batter to collect a hit off Hader, who has struck out nine of the 10 batters he's faced in this series.
Curtis Granderson, who led off the game with a triple off the top of the netting in left-center field and scored on a single by Lorenzo Cain, added insurance with a solo home run to left-center off reliever Steve Cishek in the ninth. Mike Moustakas added a two-run single.
The Brewers added another run in the top of the third on consecutive singles by Granderson, Christian Yelich and Cain and a sacrifice fly by Travis Shaw.
The Cubs finally broke through in the bottom of the fifth against reliever Jacob Barnes, as pinch-hitter Tommy La Stella hit an infield single and advanced on a throwing error by shortstop Hernan Perez.
Bryant hit a double near the top of the basket in left center, but Rizzo grounded to short. The Cubs never advanced a runner past first base after that.
