McGehee homers while pounding out 4 hits as Brewers rip Cubs 11-2

McGehee pounds 4 hits, Brewers rip Cubs 11-2

CHICAGO — Rookie Casey McGehee had a career high four hits and five RBIs to help the Milwaukee Brewers pound Rich Harden and the Chicago Cubs 11-2 on Saturday to snap a three-game losing streak.

Mike Cameron and J.J. Hardy also went deep to back a solid effort by Braden Looper (7-4). But McGahee delivered his best performance against the organization that let him go during the offseason.

Claimed off waivers in October, he made the team in spring training and is now batting .331 in 46 games after going 4 for 5. He singled twice and tripled before hitting a two-run homer off Jeff Samardzija.

The Cubs had won three in a row after going 11-14 in June, but this was simply a brutal afternoon all around — especially for Harden and Alfonso Soriano.

Harden (5-5) allowed seven runs and eight hits over two-plus innings in the shortest start of his career. Soriano, meanwhile, got booed for his flubs in the field and at the plate after being dropped from the leadoff spot to sixth in the order.

And the Brewers simply pounded away.

Shut out twice in the previous six games, they scored five in the first while sending nine batters to the plate.

Cameron followed McGehee’s two-run bases-loaded single with a three-run homer. Hardy added a solo shot in the second, and after McGehee led off the third with his first career triple, Cameron chased Harden with a double to left that sailed over Soriano’s head after he initially broke in, drawing more boos.

Besides that mistake, Soriano went 0 for 4 after being dropped from first to sixth in the order and is now hitless in his last 16 at-bats. His groundout with the bases loaded to end the first set the tone, and the boos continued throughout the game.

The Cubs also loaded the bases in the second but did not score until Milton Bradley hit a two-run homer in the third. Those were their only runs against Looper, who gave up six hits in six innings.

Harden barely made it out of the first while throwing 38 pitches. He fell to 1-4 in his last six starts.

NOTES: The Cubs will have some roster decisions to make with 3B Aramis Ramirez and OF Reed Johnson expected to return from the disabled list before Monday’s game against Atlanta, and manager Lou Piniella said they might go with 11 pitchers. … With no starting pitcher scheduled for next Saturday, manager Ken Macha said the Brewers could recall LHP Manny Parra from AAA Nashville. If Parra, who threw seven scoreless innings on Friday for Nashville, is brought up he would likely start on Friday with the rest of the rotation pushed back a day.