MILWAUKEE - Chicago Cubs rookie Kris Bryant was glad to get his first career home run out of the way, though it came in a losing effort.

Bryant's three-run shot in the third inning gave the Cubs the lead before Milwaukee powered its way to a 12-4 win Saturday night.

Bryant, who began the season in the minors, came into the day hitting .278 (20 for 72) in 20 games since being called up on April 17th.

"I know the type of player I am," he said. "I've always hit home runs in my life. So, just because I hadn't hit one in my whole time up here, I wasn't pressing at all. I was just trying to do my job to help the team win."

When Bryant came back to the dugout, all of the Cubs coaches and players had retreated to the clubhouse, leaving no one to greet him.

"They do that a lot of times with the rookies, so, it was pretty funny that they all came in here," Bryant said. "They were all waiting over there by the door. And then, kind of like a mosh pit, punching me and all that kind of stuff. Yeah, it was fun."

Travis Wood (2-2) allowed six runs — four earned — and six hits in four innings as the Cubs lost for the sixth time in eight games.

Chicago catcher David Ross pitched a scoreless eighth inning, with his fastest pitch at 76 mph. Ross said he had not pitched since Little League.

"I was just going to throw it and hope they didn't hit it back at me," he said, adding that Cubs manager Joe Maddon "came to me with a big smile and said, 'Do you want to pitch?' I just kind of stared at him for a little while and said, 'Yeah, why not?' Then the nerves and the heart rate went to another level."

Jason Rogers hit his first career home run and Gerardo Parra also homered and drove in four runs to lead the Brewers.

Jean Segura added a solo shot and Khris Davis kept up his hitting surge with three hits and three RBIs for Milwaukee, which finished with its season-high scoring total. The Brewers also improved to 3-3 since Craig Counsell took over as manager for the fired Ron Roenicke.

Parra's first home run of the season, a two-run shot in the second inning, gave the Brewers a 2-0 lead.

Chicago came back to take a 3-2 lead in the third inning. Addison Russell singled, Dexter Fowler doubled and Bryant hit the first pitch he saw over the centre-field fence.

Davis' two-run double and Parra's sacrifice fly in the third inning put the Brewers ahead 5-3.

Sterling Castro had an RBI single in the fourth inning pull the Cubs within one, but Segura's second home run of the season pushed the lead back to 6-4.

The Brewers broke the game open in the fifth inning. Davis' second RBI double and Martin Maldonado's sacrifice fly was followed by Rogers' first career home run, a pinch-hit three-run shot to centre field to make it 11-4.

"It was pretty cool," Rogers said. "It was really more of a relief. I've hit a lot of balls to the wall, but it was nice to finally hit one over. And for it to come in a win is even better."

Parra's RBI single in the sixth inning closed out the scoring.

HITTING STREAK

Russell extended his hitting streak to 12 games with his single in the third inning. It is the longest streak by a Cubs rookie since Mike Fontenot also had a 12-game hitting streak in 2007.

TRAINERS ROOM

Brewers: CF Carlos Gomez did not start for the third straight game with what Counsell has called a "very mild" right hip flexor injury. Counsell hopes Gomez will return Sunday. ... 3B Aramis Ramirez did not start for the second straight game with lower back tightness. He is also expected to play Sunday.

UP NEXT

Cubs: RHP Kyle Hendricks (0-1) will be making his Miller Park debut Sunday against the Brewers in the series finale. He was 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA against Milwaukee last season.

Brewers: RHP Matt Garza (2-4) will be going for this fourth straight quality start in the series finale. He is 1-2 with a 5.82 ERA in his career against the Cubs.