on Tyson Chandler in the first half for Denver. Parson

CHICAGO -- Travis Wood got into trouble in the first inning when he walked the bases loaded before retiring Khris Davis on a grounder that kept the game scoreless. After a simple tweak, Wood cruised the rest of the way. The left-hander retired 19 of his final 21 batters and pitched two-hit ball for seven innings as the Chicago Cubs beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-2 on Sunday. "It was a struggle there in the first," Wood said. "We werent missing bad, but we were missing, so (there was) kind of a minor adjustment I had to make. I was kind of flying open a little bit there in the first after the first or second hitter, so we made it and were able to roll after that." Welington Castillo and Mike Olt homered for the Cubs, who took two of three from the NL Central leaders to win a series for the second time this season. Wood (4-4) allowed two runs and struck out seven. All three of his walks came in the first inning. "When he locates down into the corners, hes really, really effective," Chicago manager Rick Renteria said. The Cubs won their first series since taking two of three against the St. Louis Cardinals from May 2-4. "We had some timely hitting. Our pitching has been really good, and weve been able to close out the ballgames we lead," Renteria said. Hector Rondon earned his fifth save in five chances after allowing a leadoff double to Ryan Braun in the ninth for Milwaukees third hit. The Brewers, who began the day with the NLs best record, have scored 11 runs in five games. "He keeps the fastball away well. He throws the cutter inside to right-handers well and mixes in a curveball," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said about Wood. "He commanded the ball well, and were a little bit off offensively. Three hits, just not many guys on base to do things with." Marco Estrada (3-2) gave up four runs and seven hits -- five doubles and two homers -- in five innings. In nine games this season, Estrada has served up 12 home runs, second-most in the majors. "I was terrible, plain and simple. Terrible," Estrada said. "Ive got to figure things out. My off-speed pitches havent been there and thats whats letting me down, that and elevating the fastball when Im not trying to." Castillos two-run shot gave the Cubs a 2-0 lead in the second. Luis Valbuena scored on Castillos fifth homer after drawing a walk. The Cubs extended their lead to 3-0 in the third after Starlin Castro and Valbuena hit back-to-back doubles with two outs. Olt hit his team-leading ninth homer in the fourth to make it 4-0. He leads NL rookies in home runs. "Ive just gotten some good pitches to hit," Olt said. "As long as Im doing that, then Im happy. The home runs, I guess, have come in bunches. Hopefully I can keep it going." The Brewers got their first hit on Logan Schafers one-out double against Wood in the fifth. Two batters later, Rickie Weeks hit a two-run homer to cut the lead to 4-2. The Brewers had been scoreless for 20 straight innings, since the second inning on Friday. "The first inning or two, when you have a pitcher in trouble, you need to get to them early," Roenicke said. NOTES: Renteria said RHP Pedro Strop (groin) is expected to start rehabbing at extended spring training in Arizona soon. ... Cubs OF Nate Schierholtz was out of the lineup. He was hitting .197. "His at-bats have been better, but we havent had the results that we wanted," Renteria said. Ryan Kalish started in right field. ... Brewers RHP Wily Peralta (4-2, 2.05 ERA) will start against Atlanta on Monday. The Cubs have Monday off before beginning a two-game series at home against the New York Yankees. Dru Samia Jersey .com) - The Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics both entered Wednesday nights game riding lengthy losing streaks. Alan Page Jersey . The defending champions sent their preliminary list to FIFA on Tuesday, with coach Vicente del Bosque to announce the final 23-man squad on May 25. Costa is set to lead the attack in his native Brazil, with Atletico Madrid teammate David Villa and Chelseas Fernando Torres also included, while David de Gea replaces injured goalkeeper Victor Valdes. http://www.thevikingsshoponline.com/Youth-Fran-Tarkenton-Vikings-Jersey/ . In the last race before the Sochi Olympics, Bjoergen followed up her win in the 10-kilometre classical race on Saturday by beating World Cup sprint leader Denise Herrmann of Germany by 0.43 seconds for her fifth victory of the season. Dru Samia Youth Jersey . The stakes were higher, the competition more fierce and the atmosphere was that of a playoff game - something the young, upstart Raptors have five weeks to better prepare themselves for or the result will be eerily similar. Dalvin Cook Womens Jersey . The 28-year-old from Rochester, Alta., was selected by the Redblacks from the Saskatchewan Roughriders roster in the 2013 CFL Expansion Draft.DALLAS - It sure appeared a night of rest did Dirk Nowitzki some good when he scored the first 10 Dallas points without missing a shot.The 36-year-old forward didnt quite maintain that pace in his return to the lineup, but the early cushion was enough to keep the Mavericks ahead throughout in a quick rematch with Denver.Nowitzki scored 25 points two days after sitting in the Mile High City, and the Mavericks split a home-and-home set against the Nuggets with a 97-89 victory Friday night.He looked good, said Chandler Parsons, whose 18 points included a thunderous dunk over J.J. Hickson. He still got a little gassed out there. Obviously, I think not playing and resting and just getting some cardio in was beneficial for him.Tyson Chandler and Rajon Rondo were the other two Dallas starters who sat out the second night of a back-to-back on Wednesday, and their return helped as well.Chandler, who has been nursing a sore ankle, had his 17th double-double with 11 points and 16 rebounds.Rondo, slowed by a mild Achilles issue, scored just two points but had eight assists and nine rebounds while helping hold Nuggets point guard Ty Lawson to 11 points after he scored 29 in the Denver win on Wednesday.The starting five was back together, and the good start kind of carried us through, said Nowitzki, who was 8 of 18 from the field, including 4 of 5 from 3-point range, with nine rebounds.Arron Afflalo scored 16 to lead the Nuggets, who had to withstand a rally to beat the travel-weary and short-handed Mavericks at home after four nights off. Denvers five-game winning streak, tied for a season high, ended in the first of four games in five nights.The Nuggets were outscored 10-2 to start the game and 11-2 coming out of halftime but stayed close throughout. Denver never led, though, and couldnt get closer than a six-point deficit to start the fourth quarter.Free throws were parrtially to blame, with the Nuggets making just 12 of 25.ddddddddddddThe ball wasnt going in the rim either from the free throw or from the field, Lawson said after the Nuggets shot 37 per cent in the first half and 41 per cent for the game. We got the shots we wanted. Nobody was forcing shots or anything. They just didnt fall.___TIP-INSNuggets: Lawson didnt get his first field goal until banking in a 3-pointer late in the third quarter. He did have 12 assists, though. ... Hickson had 13 points and a season-high 14 rebounds.Mavericks: Nowitzki moved into 22nd place on the career list for 3-pointers, passing Mike Bibbys total of 1,517. ... In their loss to Denver on Wednesday, the Mavericks had eight players in double figures for the third time this season, a first for the franchise.THUNDER DUNKSParsons one-handed slam over Hickson brought his teammates off the bench in the third quarter after Wilson Chandler made a similar move on Tyson Chandler in the first half for Denver. Parsons later ended up near Nuggets coach Brian Shaw and Hickson during a break in the action.Coach Shaw was like, Youre going to let him do that to you? Parsons said. I was like, Ill sign the poster and tapped (Hickson) on the butt. Wilson got Tyson bad, though. So I guess were even.OLD TEAM AGAINJameer Nelson, who started the season with the Mavericks, finished with 14 points before fouling out late in his debut for the Nuggets.Nelson was playing Dallas for the second time in two weeks, and with a second different team. The first was with Boston after he was included in the Rondo trade. The Nuggets got him this week in a deal that sent Nate Robinson to the Celtics.Nelson scored in double figures for the first time since Dec. 9, when he had 18 points against Memphis while still with Dallas.UP NEXTNuggets: Home against Minnesota on Saturday.Mavericks: At Memphis on Monday. ' ' '