+ THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2015 PAGE 11 δΈ€ Rizzo hits 3-run homer as Cubs beat Brewers 11-7 MIKE TULUMELLO CHRIS CARLSON/ASSOCIATED PRESS Associated Press CHRIS CARLSON/ASSOCIATED PRESS Chicago Cubs' Dexter Fowler celebrates in the dugout after being walked in during the third inning of a spring training baseball exhibition game against the Kansas City Royals in Mesa, Ariz., on March 17. MESA, Ariz. β€” Anthony Rizzo hit a three-run homer off Kyle Lohse, and Jason Hammel allowed one run in five innings as the Chicago Cubs beat the Milwaukee Brewers 11-7 Wednesday. Tommy La Stella homered starting the third, Dexter Fowler walked, Jorge Soler singled and Rizzo sent an 0-2 pitch from Lohse over the left-field fence. Fowler hit a two-run homer in the fourth off Lohse, who allowed seven runs, eight hits and four walks in four innings. Jorge Soler hit a two-run homer off Will Smith in the fifth. Hammel gave up six hits, struck out five and walked none. The right-hander, who will pitch either the Cubs' second or third game, pronounced himself happy with the spring. "I got the pitch counts up where they needed to be. I still felt really strong in the fifth today. That's pretty much all you can ask for β€” stay healthy and get ready." Hammel said. An announced crowd of 13,375 at Sloan Park raised the Cubs' home total to 222,415, a major league spring training record that topped Chicago's total of 213,815 last year. Fowler went 3-for-3 with four runs scored. Soler, La Stella and Matt Szczur all had two hits apiece. For the Brewers, Logan Schafer was 3 for 4 with three RBIs. Scooter Gennett went 3 for 5 with two doubles, and Adam Lind doubled twice. STARTING TIME Brewers: Lohse, who gave up three homers, is scheduled to start the season opener Monday against Colorado. He said he didn't have the feel for his changeup Wednesday but kept trying to work on it. "It's not an, 'Oh well,'" he said. "It's, 'OK, let's think about what we need to work on for the next start." In the longer view, he said he's healthy and ready to go. "That's the most important thing. Except for this, I felt like every other outing was really solid," Lohse said. "This start was ugly, but you turn the page. The next one is the one that counts." Milwaukee manager Ron Roenicke said he likes how Lohse has been pitching. Lohse entered the game with a 1.80 ERA this spring. "I don't know how to explain today," Roenicke said. "Sometimes, your command just isn't there. Sometimes you're facing a pretty good team. He knows what he needs to do. We feel good with him opening up." Cubs: Jon Lester is likely to throw about 100 pitches in the season opener Sunday night vs. St. Louis. Also, manager Joe Maddon will soon decide on his fifth starter, choosing between Travis Wood and Edwin Jackson, with the other going to the bullpen. TRAINER'S ROOM Brewers: Ryan Braun sat out with a tight hamstring. The team hopes he'll be ready to go Thursday. Cubs: OF Chris Denorfia could start the season on the disabled list with a hamstring injury. Also, outfielder Chris Coghlan is day to day with a stiff neck. ROSTER MOVES The Cubs optioned outfielder Junior Lake and pitchers Brian Schlitter and Zac Rosscup to Triple-A Iowa. "I tried to impress upon these guys to stay ready because the call could come at any moment," Maddon said. "The guy who goes out there and continues to do his job and stays ready gets that call." Chicago now has three position players competing for two spots, Maddon indicated. They are outfielders Ryan Sweeney and Szczur, and infielder Jonathan Herrera. BARY WIEPERT/ASSOCIATED PRESS Buffalo Sabres' Brian Gionta (12), Tyler Ennis (63), Zach Bogosian, rear, and Johan Larsson (22), celebrate a goal by Matt Moulson (26) during the game yesterday in Buffalo, N.Y. Buffalo won 4-3. Sabres rally back to beat Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 JOHN WAWROW Associated Press Buffalo's Anders Lindback made 24 saves, including a BUFFALO, N.Y. β€” Matt Moulson and Matt Ellis scored 1:41 apart in the third period, and the Buffalo Sabres rallied for a 4-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night. James van Riemsdyk, Eric Brewer and Nazem Kadri scored for Toronto (29-43-6), which squandered a chance to win three straight for the first time since a six-game run from Dec. 10-16. The Maple Leafs are 10-34-3 since. The Sabres overcame a 3-1 second-period deficit and won their second straight, inching closer to moving out of last place. Zac Dalpe and Cody Hodgson also scored in a matchup of cross-border rivals that featured a predominant number of fans wearing Maple Leafs jerseys. Ellis added an assist, and Brian Gionta set up two goals for Buffalo (22-47-8), which moved to within two points of 29th-place Arizona. A large contingent of Sabres fans are openly rooting for Buffalo to finish 30th and be guaranteed a shot at selecting one of two highly touted draft prospects: Erie Otters center Connor McDavid or Boston University center Jack Eichel. pair of key stops against Phil Kessel in the final minute. Moulson tied it with a power-play goal 1:33 into the third period. Gionta started the play at the left boards and sent a no-look pass down low to Johan Larsson, who quickly fed the puck into the slot for Moulson's one-timer. Ellis was set up by Nikita Zadorow, who sped up the right wing and sent a pass into the middle. Ellis cut across to draw out goalie Jonathan Bernier and shoveled the puck into the open left side. While Ellis and his teammates celebrated, some Sabres fans joined their Maple Leafs counterparts by sitting quietly following the sudden turn of events. The pro-losing group made its voices heard in Buffalo's previous home game, a 4-3 overtime loss to Arizona on Thursday. That's when notable cheers went up each time the Coyotes scored. sabres players took offense, with defenseman Mike Weber calling it "a whole new low." After Dalpe opened the scoring less than seven minutes in, the Maple Leafs scored the next three, capped by Kadri's goal at 13:24 of the second period. Before the opening faceoff on Wednesday, fans were overheard chanting: "We want McDavid!" One fan had a banner that read: "Embrace The Tank," in reference to wanting Buffalo to bottom out. Fans wearing Sabres jerseys in the upper bowl cheered when the Maple Leafs scored, and patted a banner stuck on the wall behind them that read: "#PRAY for McDAVID." The Sabres responded 30 seconds later when Hodgson scored on a wraparound. It came after he gathered a loose puck behind the net after Andre Benoit's point shot sailed wide.