CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs are proving to be one difficult assignment for contending teams hoping to improve their playoff position. Arizona Diamondbacks Jerseys . Jake Arrieta pitched six solid innings and Chicago beat Milwaukee 7-1 on Tuesday night, handing the Brewers their seventh consecutive loss. The last-place Cubs will try for a series sweep of the Brewers on Wednesday night. They are 18-14 since Aug. 1, including a sweep of AL East-leading Baltimore and two of three in a series at NL West-leading Los Angeles. "Were figuring out ways to put all the facets of the game together at the same time," Arrieta said. "Thats what really good teams do." Arrieta (8-5) allowed one run and five hits, struck out four and walked two. He has allowed one or no runs in 13 of his 22 starts this season. Shortstop Elian Herrera made two errors that helped the Cubs score four runs in the first inning, and Milwaukee stranded a runner in scoring position in five of the nine innings. Since owning a 2 1/2-game lead in the NL Central on Aug. 19, the Brewers have lost 10 of 12. "We have to get back to the way we played the majority of the first five months," slugger Ryan Braun said. "Every team has a bad week. Its not an ideal time for it to happen to us. But we have to go out there and continue to compete every day, and it will turn around at some point." Milwaukees Yovani Gallardo (8-8) allowed a season-high seven runs and eight hits in five innings. Jorge Soler and Luis Valbuena each singled in a run in the first and came around to score on Herreras errors. Braun singled home Scooter Gennett in the third, but the Cubs pulled away again in the fifth. Welington Castillo had an RBI double and Arismendy Alcantara connected for a two-run homer, extending the Cubs lead to 7-1. "Everybody chipped away, made some things happen," Cubs manager Rick Renteria said. "We took advantage of their mistakes." Alcantara, who made his big league debut earlier this season, now has eight home runs through 50 games. Valbuena got two hits and scored twice. Over his past 17 games, he has hit six homers, driven in 10 runs and scored 12. Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro sprained his left ankle on an awkward slide home in the first inning, and left the game. Initial tests revealed no fracture for the three-time All-Star. TRAINERS ROOM Brewers: OF Carlos Gomez was diagnosed with a sprained left wrist and will not swing a bat for at least one week, manager Ron Roenicke said. The injury could potentially sideline the two-time All-Star for a few weeks, but Roenicke said Gomez will remain available as a pinch runner and defensive substitute. Cubs: All-Star 1B Anthony Rizzo was diagnosed with a back strain and will miss an extended period of time. Cubs executive Theo Epstein said the injury could be season-ending. UP NEXT The Brewers and Cubs finish their three-game set Wednesday night. RHP Kyle Hendricks (5-1, 1.91 ERA) starts for the Cubs, aiming to win his fifth consecutive decision. He will face RHP Matt Garza (7-7, 3.58 ERA), who makes his first start since being put on the 15-day disabled list with strained left oblique on Aug. 5. PRIZED PROSPECT Although the Cubs front office did not call 3B Kris Bryant up to the majors when rosters expanded this month, Epstein still had plenty of praise for the prize prospect. "Hes as advanced and mature and professional as a prospect weve had," Epstein said, before directing his focus at next season and adding, "If anyone can jump into the big league picture in the middle of the season and not miss a beat, its Kris Bryant." Ketel Marte Jersey . It was the most lopsided loss in Lakers history. Darren Collison had a team-high 24 points while starting at shooting guard for the injured Jamal Crawford. Chris Paul added 13 points and 11 assists for the Clippers, who apparently are trying to make up for decades of humiliation at the hands of the Lakers all in one season; theyve won the last two meetings by a combined 84 points. Custom Arizona Diamondbacks Jerseys .C. - The housecleaning continues for the B. http://www.diamondbacksteamshop.com/Diamondbacks-Shelby-Miller-Kids-Jersey/ . Leave it to Matt Niskanen, the newly proclaimed Eddie Haskell of the Washington Capitals. VANCOUVER -- Jay DeMerit sounded like a boxer who did not see the knockout blows coming. The Vancouver captain and his teammates were left stunned after Jose Mari scored a pair of goals three minutes apart in the second half as the Colorado Rapids came back to beat the Whitecaps 2-1 before a sellout crowd of 21,000 at B.C. Place Stadium on Saturday. "We all feel like we got punched in the gut a little bit there," said DeMerit. "Unfortunately, that happens in our sport. Some things you cant control. I thought the things we could control (were) enough to win. Unfortunately, that didnt happen tonight." It was the Whitecaps first loss of the young season. "Ultimately, its disappointing," said DeMerit. "I think everyone will walk out of B.C. Place tonight thinking like something got taken away from them." Mari scored in the 79th and 82nd minutes shortly after Matias Labas ejection for a second yellow card reduced Vancouver to 10 men. "It kind of hit us at the wrong time, too, when we think we had the game by the scruff of the neck and were controlling things," said DeMerit. "It was kind of a one-two punch there, and you find yourself on the back foot therea You have to say that the guys fought for 90 minutes tonight, even when we went down a man. We had enough chances to win." Laba was sent off in the 77th minute following his deliberate hand-ball as he fell and grabbed it to prevent a scoring chance. He had already received a yellow card for a foul in the 54th minute. A Colorado (2-1-1) player said a few words of reminder to referee Ioannis Stavridis, after he showed Laba another yellow card and the official pulled out a red one. Mari then sliced home a left-footed shot off the goalpost from the left flank. With the Whitecaps (2-1-2) still reeling from that goal, Mari put a right-footed chip shot from the top of the box over Vancouver defenders that shocked Whitecaps goalkeeper David Ousted. "Youve gotta give credit to their two finishes," said DeMerit. "Same guy. Same two finishes. And, if he doesnt win player of the week this week, I dont know who will." Darren Mattocks scored for the Whitecaps as all of the goals came in the final 45 minutes following a scoreless first half in which Vancouver had more scoring chances than the Rapids. Colorado triumphed despite playing without strikers Vicente Sanchez, who shared the MLS scoring lead before Saturdays games, and Edson Buddle. A team spokesman said the two players missed the game because they chose not to play on artificial turf. Meanwhile, Colorados No. 1 goalkeeper Clint Irwin excelled in his first game of the season after being sidelined in the pre-season with a strained quadricep. He was kept busy, and won many races to the ball, as the Whitecaps pressed for most of the first half. Vancouvers Mattocks had a goal disallowed in the 14th minute because he went off-side, slightly behind a Colorado defensive wall. Pedro Morales took a shot and the rebound from Irwins save came right to Mattocks, who made no mistake in converting, but was victimized by his own mmiscue seconds earlier. Taijuan Walker Jersey. Mattocks had another chance five minutes later as he raced in on a breakaway, but Irwin got his hand on the shot and the rebound bounced off the Vancouver striker and over the end line for a Colorado goal-kick. In the 37th minute, Irwin knocked over Caps striker Kenny Miller as they both raced to the ball inside the bottom right corner of the Colorado box. But to Millers chagrin, no penalty was called and the Rapids were awarded another goal-kick. Mattocks luck finally changed in the 67th minute as he outraced Colorado defender Drew Moor to a lead ball from Miller, raced in on goal and scored. Irwin got his hand on the shot, but could not keep the ball out. The goal resulted after Vancouver coach Carl Robinson had injected more speed into his lineup by inserting speedy substitutes Sebastian Fernandez (57th minute) and Kekuta Manneh (74th), providing even more opportunities off long balls that created many chances in the first half. "Obviously, when Im walking off with (about) 15 minutes to go with Manneh coming on, I could never have envisioned that we were going to lose that game," said Whitecaps striker Miller. "But, obviously, the red card had turned the game on its head." Robinson was contemplating a defensive change to help preserve the lead when Laba was ejected, but Mari struck for his quick markers. "The first one, especially, just gave us so much life," said Colorado captain Moor. The two Colorado goals prompted Robinson to make further goal-oriented substitutions instead, but they did not pay off. While the Whitecaps lamented a win that they felt got away, the Rapids gave themselves credit for their comeback a week after they had lost to Kansas City by allowing a late game-winning goal. Moor called the early-season win over a Western Conference rival "a good sign." "We want to play against teams," said Moor. "We dont want to sit in and come in on the road and hope to get a point, hope to get a tie. We want to go win games. In the game last weekend against Kansas City, I thought we were unlucky, a couple lapses of concentration. But this week, I think we just had the belief the whole time that we were going to get something out of it. Its pretty powerful sometimes." Irwin was credited with three saves in the opening 45 minutes and six on the night, while Ousted recorded just one save. Vancouver put seven shots on target compared to Colorados three. "You can create chances, but youre not always going to score three or four goals every week," said Miller. "You want to (finish) the chances when you create them." Notes: Injured Whitecaps midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker (concussion) missed his second consecutive game, but has resumed training. a Rapids midfielder Kamani Hill received a yellow card for a deliberate hand-ball as he palmed Russell Teiberts intended cross for Miller on a counter-attack off Colorados lone corner-kick in the first half. a Colorado defender Marc Burch was cautioned in the second half for taking Morales down with a hand to the head. ' ' '