Chicago Cubs bats are silent again as the Milwaukee Brewers breeze 7-0 to win the series

MILWAUKEE — The Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers ended Round 2 of their grudge match Wednesday afternoon with a snoozer in the series finale.

The Brewers pounded the Cubs 7-0 before a crowd of 10,598 at American Family Field, taking their second series against their National League Central rivals.

The Brewers scored two first-inning runs off Cubs starter Jake Arrieta, and Brewers ace Corbin Burnes shut out the Cubs on two hits over six innings to notch the win.

Arrieta allowed three runs over five innings before Shelby Miller had a disastrous Cubs debut after being called up from the alternate site in South Bend, Ind. Miller walked in two runs with the bases loaded and allowed four runs without recording an out.

It’s early in the season, but it’s already shaping up to be a wild rivalry between the Cubs and their neighbors from Wisconsin.

Willson Contreras took umbrage to being hit by a couple of pitches in the opening series at Wrigley Field and was fined $7,500 by MLB for stalking toward Brewers reliever Brad Boxberger after the second hit by pitch, precipitating the clearing of both benches.

He was hit again Tuesday — and he answered with a go-ahead, two-run home run in the eighth inning, signaling for Brewers fans to “shut up” by putting an index finger to his lips while rounding the bases.

The Cubs were 0-5 when trailing entering the seventh before Tuesday’s 3-2 comeback win, their biggest of the young season.

But they’re still looking for offense after a historically bad start. The Cubs headed into Wednesday’s game with a .167 average, worst in baseball and the lowest average for an 11-game stretch in team history. They’ve scored only 32 runs, averaging less than three per game, and are ahead of only the Washington Nationals and New York Mets, both of whom have played fewer games because of COVID-19 postponements.

The Cubs also are striking out in 28.9% of their at-bats, with Javier Báez at an astonishing 41.9% rate and Joc Pederson at 35.9%.

“I know you guys are always looking for answers about our hitting and stats,” Contreras said. “It’s only 11 games. ... To find an early answer for that, for each game, isn’t available right now. I know our lineup is really good.”

Contreras continues to be the focal point of the rivalry and has had bad blood with the Brewers for years. He said Brewers catcher Omar Narvaez is a good friend, “and I told him I know you guys are not trying to hit me, but bro, that’s something that frustrates any player, and I’m trying to take care of myself.”

Contreras added that being hit in the head “could be the end of my career,” and he recalled a player who made his debut with the Marlins who got hit in the head by the first pitch he saw and never played again. He seemed to be referring to a memorable incident in Cubs history when rookie outfielder Adam Greenberg was hit in the head in his first plate appearance against the then-Florida Marlins on July 9, 2005, basically ending his major-league career before it began.

Greenberg struggled after eventually returning to the minors and never made it back to the majors until the Marlins gave him a one-day contract at the end of the 2012 season as a publicity stunt. Marlins manager Ozzie Guillén gave Greenberg one at-bat, and though Greenberg struck out, he was in the record books with an official at-bat.

“That’s scary,” Contreras said of the incident. “I’m not trying to blame (the Brewers). I’m just trying to protect myself.”

Cubs reliever Ryan Tepera allegedly tried to hit Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff with a fastball that sailed behind his back. Contreras and a heated Woodruff had a conversation in the batter’s box and warnings were issued. But Contreras said he “didn’t know anything about it.”

He told Marquee Sports Network he was not looking to start a fight and if the Cubs were looking to hit someone, they would’ve chosen a position player. Woodruff said he didn’t intentionally throw at Contreras.

“I think they picked the wrong guy to throw at,” Contreras said. “But that was a message sent and, man, there’s a lot more games coming up. Who knows what’s going to happen?”

Hendricks update

Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks, who was scratched from Tuesday’s start after feeling ill, was sent back home to Chicago. Hendricks tested negative for COVID-19 and told the team Wednesday he was “feeling better.” There was no word from manager David Ross on whether Hendricks would be available to pitch this weekend in the three-game series with the Atlanta Braves at Wrigley Field.

The Cubs also made several roster moves before the game, activating reliever Jason Adam from the COVID-19-related injured list and catcher Austin Romine from the regular IL, selecting pitcher Shelby Miller from the South Bend alternate site, optioning pitchers Adbert Alzolay and Brad Wieck to South Bend and designating catcher Tony Wolters for assignment.