Recap: Chicago Cubs vs. Milwaukee

Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - George Kottaras backed Yovani Gallardo's strong start with a two-run seventh-inning homer in the Brewers' 2-1 win over the Cubs on Wednesday.

Gallardo (1-1) went seven innings, allowing just one run on five hits while striking out six, Francisco Rodriguez stranded a pair in the eighth and John Axford worked around a two-out ninth-inning double for his second save of the season.

Mat Gamel added a single and a double for Milwaukee, which will look for the sweep of this four-game series on Thursday.

Starlin Castro knocked in a run in the first inning for the Cubs and Ryan Dempster (0-1) took the loss despite giving up just two runs on five hits over 6 2/3 innings.

"I made a mistake and it cost me the game," Dempster said of Kottaras' home run. "Unfortunately I just left a cutter over the middle of the plate."

Gallardo bounced back from a rough Opening Day start, which saw him allow four home runs in an 11-5 loss to the Cardinals. He fell behind early on Wednesday when David DeJesus led off the first with a double, moved to third on a groundout and scored on Castro's sacrifice fly.

But Chicago did not score again and Kottaras followed Gamel's leadoff double in the seventh with a homer to right for the deciding margin.

The Cubs placed runners at first and second with no outs in the home half, but Gallardo struck out Geovany Soto and Marlon Byrd in succession, then grounded out Blake DeWitt to end the threat.

Rodriguez struck out the side in the eighth despite issuing a pair of walks and Axford fanned three Cubs in the ninth, including Reed Johnson after Steve Clevenger's two-out double to left.

"When we go to (Rodriguez) and (Axford) I like the outcome," said Brewers manager Ron Roenicke. "They are gonna let some guys on base but they make good pitches."