MILWAUKEE (Interstat) — The Milwaukee Brewers scored six unanswered runs to defeat the Chicago Cubs 6-2 on Friday night at American Family Field, extending their lead in the National League Central.

Garrett Mitchell’s two-run home run in the sixth inning tied the game, and William Contreras added a two-run blast in the seventh to put Milwaukee ahead for good. The Brewers improved to 50-29, the best record in the league, while the Cubs fell to 43-38.

Milwaukee starter Jacob Misiorowski (9-3) pitched six innings, allowing one run on two hits and striking out eight. He walked three. The right-hander outdueled Cubs starter Colin Rea, who allowed two runs over 5 1/3 innings before being lifted. Cubs reliever Ethan Roberts (0-2) took the loss after surrendering the go-ahead runs in the sixth.

The Cubs took an early lead in the fifth inning. Seiya Suzuki led off the top half with his 11th home run of the season, a solo shot to center field off Misiorowski. Suzuki’s blast gave Chicago a 1-0 advantage. The Cubs added another run in the eighth on a sacrifice fly by Suzuki, scoring Pete Crow-Armstrong, but by then Milwaukee had already built a five-run cushion.

Milwaukee’s offense was stifled through the first five innings. Rea mixed his pitches effectively, allowing only three hits and stranding runners in scoring position. The Brewers broke through in the sixth.

With one out, Contreras singled and Jake Bauers walked. After Andrew Vaughn lined into a double play that erased Contreras at second, Mitchell stepped to the plate. The center fielder drove a 1-1 pitch from Roberts over the wall in right-center, scoring Bauers and knotting the game at 2-2.

The Brewers kept the inning alive when Cooper Pratt walked and David Hamilton tripled to left, driving in Pratt for a 3-2 lead. Christian Yelich lined out to end the frame, but Milwaukee had seized control.

In the seventh, Jackson Chourio led off with a double to right. After Brice Turang struck out, Contreras sent a 2-2 pitch from Cubs reliever Keegan Thompson over the left-center wall, his ninth home run of the season. The two-run shot made it 5-2. Sal Frelick followed with a single, but Mitchell struck out to end the inning.

Milwaukee added an insurance run in the eighth. Pratt walked, moved to second on a flyout and scored when Yelich doubled to left. The ball was deflected by center fielder Crow-Armstrong, allowing Pratt to race home for a 6-2 lead.

The Cubs managed only three hits in the game. Alex Bregman singled in the sixth and Michael Conforto singled in the seventh, but Chicago could not string together a rally. Misiorowski retired 10 of the first 11 batters he faced and did not allow a hit until Suzuki’s homer. He worked out of a jam in the sixth, striking out Ian Happ with the bases loaded to end the threat.

Milwaukee’s bullpen was effective. Abner Uribe pitched a scoreless seventh inning, allowing one hit and striking out one. The Brewers’ defense also contributed, turning a double play in the third inning and a line-drive double play in the sixth.

The Brewers’ offense finished with 11 hits. Chourio had two hits, including a double, and scored twice. Contreras also had two hits, drove in two runs and scored once. Yelich collected two hits and drove in a run. Mitchell’s home run was his sixth of the season.

For the Cubs, Suzuki drove in both runs with his homer and sacrifice fly. Crow-Armstrong walked twice and scored a run. The Cubs struck out 11 times as a team.

The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for the Cubs, who had taken a series from the New York Mets earlier in the week. The Brewers won their fourth straight and have now won 10 of their last 12.

The series continues Saturday at American Family Field. The Cubs will send left-hander Shota Imanaga (5-4, 3.12 ERA) to the mound against Brewers right-hander Tobias Myers (6-3, 3.80 ERA).

Attendance was 41,021. Time of game was 2 hours, 55 minutes.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Chicago Cubs 7, Milwaukee Brewers 6. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Milwaukee with a 60.60 percent probability to win. Milwaukee had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5. The total score of 8 went under the over/under line of 7.5.