MILWAUKEE — Junior Guerra struck out a career high 11 batters and Chris Carter and Kirk Nieuwenhuis hit home runs as the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Chicago Cubs 5-3 in the rubber match of a three-game series on Thursday afternoon at Miller Park.

Guerra (3-0) became the first Brewers pitcher with double-digit strikeouts since Mike Fiers had 10 last July 23 against Arizona.

Guerra gave up a leadoff home run to Dexter Fowler in the first inning and an RBI single to Miguel Montero in the second but just three hits and two walks in his final five innings to claim his third victory in four starts this season.

Cubs starter Jason Hammel (5-1) was 8-0 with a 2.37 ERA in 11 career starts against the Brewers coming into the game but couldn't protect the early lead. He left after six innings having allowed four runs, five hits and two walks with seven strikeouts.

Two defensive miscues allowed Milwaukee to get on the board in the second.

Nieuwenhuis reached on a base hit to left and moved to second on a walk by Hernan Perez. But home plate umpire Larry Vanover was late calling Hammel's 3-2 fastball, so Montero threw to second as if Nieuwenhuis were attempting to steal. The ball got past second baseman Ben Zobrist and Nieuwenhuis advanced to third.

Hammel's next pitch sailed past Montero, allowing Niewunhuis to score the tying run.

A leadoff single in the sixth by Scooter Gennett set the stage for Nieuwenhuis to come through again. Hammel hung a first-pitch slider that Nieuwenhuis belted to right, putting Milwaukee ahead 4-1.

Montero tripled and then scored for the Cubs on a seventh-inning wild pitch to make it 4-3, but Guerra got out of the inning.

The Cubs put the tying run at third after a four-pitch walk to Anthony Rizzo and a double by Zobrist, but Michael Blazek escaped by striking out Jorge Soler.

After Perez drove in an insurance run for the Brewers in the eighth, Tyler Thornburg walked the first Cubs two batters he faced in the ninth but put the next three away for his first career save.

NOTES: LF Ryan Braun was out of the lineup for the second straight game because of tightness in his lower back. Braun has missed four of Milwaukee's last five games. ... OF Domingo Santana was scratched just before first pitch with a sore shoulder. ... C Jonathan Lucroy also sat out Thursday; he was behind the plate for all 13 innings of the Brewers' 2-1 loss to Chicago Wednesday night. ... Cubs OF Matt Szczur was expected to be in the starting lineup Thursday for Double-A Tennessee as he begins a minor league rehab assignment. Szczur has been out since May 3 with a strained right hamstring. ... Chicago began the day with an MLB-best 28-10 record. It's also the franchise's best record through 38 games since the 1907 Cubs opened their season 29-9. ... Through their first 20 games against NL Central opponents in 2016, the Cubs have gone 16-4.