CHICAGO -- Jorge Soler has made the Chicago Cubs lineup deeper by going deep.Soler, who hit a three-run home run to lead Chicago to a 6-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday night, has hit seven home runs in seven starts since coming off the disabled list in early August. Hes hitting .379 in 10 games over that stretch.When Jorge is in there it makes a deep, long lineup, said Cubs catcher David Ross, who hit a solo home run as the Cubs won their third straight and 17th in 20 games.When he was out ... the lineup was shortened, you know, once you get past a certain guy, its a little easier to navigate the lineup, Ross said.Hitting in the sixth spot, Soler sent Milwaukee starter Jimmy Nelsons 2-2 pitch far over the wall in left-center field, depositing it just under the videoboard atop the stands.The homer capped a five-run first inning after RBI singles by Ben Zobrist and Addison Russell.That made for an easy night for Cubs starter Jon Lester (13-4), who got his fourth straight win, giving up one run and three hits in 6 2/3 innings while striking out seven. He hasnt lost since July 3.You get five runs after the bottom of the first, it kind of relaxes you, you dont have to grind as much, Lester said.Lester and the rest of the Cubs starting pitchers have been magnificent, going 11-0 in August, with Chicagos only two losses being hung on relievers. But Lester credited the offense for the starters success.It makes our lives as pitchers a lot easier when theyre consistent, and doing what theyve been doing pretty much the whole year for us, Lester said. We just kind of go about our business after what they do.Nelson (6-13) walked leadoff batter Dexter Fowler then hit Kris Bryant with a pitch to begin the first. Then came Solers home run.Cubs manager Joe Maddon said Soler has worked on staying patient since coming back from the DL.Hes really staying in the zone, Maddon said.Carl Edwards Jr. and Travis Wood combined for 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief for the Cubs.Nelson is 1-10 over his last 14 starts.Milwaukee rarely threatened Lester. The Brewers got a run in the sixth when Keon Broxton singled, then stole two bases before scoring on a groundout by Orlando Arcia. Milwaukee loaded the bases on two singles and a walk in the second inning, but Lester got Nelson to ground into an inning-ending forceout.The loss was the fifth in six games for the Brewers.Were having a tough go of it putting together offense, Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said. But theres no breaks, no quit. We just keep going at it.LA STELLA RETURNSCubs INF Tommy La Stella will report to Double-A Tennessee, and Maddon said he hopes La Stella will be back with the big league team by early September. La Stella was optioned to Triple-A Iowa on July 29, but refused to report, and the Cubs placed him on the temporary inactive list on Aug. 9. La Stella reportedly said he was contemplating retirement. Hes reported to Double-A, and moving on up to Triple-A, and hell be back here probably by the first of September, Maddon said before the game. La Stella, 27, was hitting .295 in 51 games for the Cubs this season before the demotion.TRAINERS ROOMBrewers: OF Ryan Braun is day-to-day after crashing into a wall at Wrigley Field on Tuesday. Braun injured his left knee and ankle and was out of the lineup Wednesday. Braun and Counsell said he might be ready to play Thursday in Chicago and is expected to play over the weekend in Seattle. ... RHP Chase Anderson, who was hit in the left quadriceps by Bryants comebacker Tuesday, said he felt much better and would play light catch and evaluate from there. Counsell said Anderson might be well enough to start in the Brewers three-game series in Seattle.Cubs: OF Chris Coghlan was placed on the 15-day DL on Wednesday with a right rib contusion. ... RHP Joe Smith was placed on the 15-day DL with a left hamstring strain. The sidearm reliever said he didnt feel right during his ninth-inning appearance on Tuesday, when he walked two of the three hitters he faced, and that it might be a recurrence of an injury from May.UP NEXT:The Cubs send RHP Jake Arrieta (14-5, 2.55) to the mound for the series finale on Thursday. RHP Zach Davies (9-5, 3.80) will pitch for the Brewers. Jonah Williams Womens Jersey . Peter Holland and Brad Staubitz were sent to Toronto on Saturday as the Maple Leafs traded defenceman Jesse Blacker and draft picks to the Anaheim Ducks. Drew Sample Jersey . The No. 1-ranked Nadal tweaked his back warming up for the Australian Open final, which he lost almost four weeks ago in a major upset against Stanislas Wawrinka. His first stop after the layoff is the clay in Rio as he tests the back and tries to stay healthy for the French Open in three months. http://www.bengalsrookiestore.com/Bengals-Jessie-Bates-Iii-Jersey/ .ca! Hi Kerry, Its another day and here we are looking at another dubious hit to the head. In this case Blue Jackets forward Brandon Dubinsky elbowed Saku Koivu in the head about a second after he dished off the puck to a teammate, knocking him unconscious. Germaine Pratt Youth Jersey . -- Derrick Rose shook off poor shooting early to hit clutch shots late and Carlos Boozer had 20 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 104-95 preseason victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night. Boomer Esiason Womens Jersey . With the first unit struggling of late and Amir Johnson - one of the teams iron men - hobbling on an injured right ankle, Patterson knew he could get the nod in a challenging matchup against one of the leagues up and coming players at his position. A year ago, Portland State became just the third program in FCS history to defeat two FBS opponents in a single season.Following a disastrous performance in its first such matchup of 2016, an 0-2 record against the higher division is looking likely with Saturday nights visit to Washington, the eighth-ranked team in the FBS.The Vikings were the darlings of the FCS in 2015, knocking off Washington State and North Texas and finished second in the Big Sky after being picked to go 12th in the 13-team conference. They earned the schools first playoff appearance since 2000 and interim coach Bruce Barnum was rewarded with a five-year extension on his way to being named the Big Sky and STATS FCS Coach of the Year.While Barnums team may have been overlooked at times last season, it is no longer sneaking up on anyone. It was picked by the Big Sky coaches to finish second in the league and was ranked 17th in the STATS FCS preseason poll.The 2016 season is only two games old, but 19th-ranked Portland State has hardly looked like one of the upper-echelon teams of the FCS.Opening against Division II Central Washington, the Vikings were penalized 10 times and trailed by five points after three quarters before scoring three touchdowns to pull away for a 43-26 win.Last weekend in a matchup with a San Jose State team that opened with a 35-point loss to Tulsa, Portland State turned the ball over six times in a 66-35 setback. Defense was the calling card for Barnums team in 2015, but it was run over for 642 yards -- including 409 on the ground -- in surrendering its most points since a 69-0 loss to Oregon in 2010.The road only gets tougher with its first matchup against a top-10 FBS team since that drubbing by the Ducks six years ago.We go into these games expecting to win, and we did last year, twice, Barnum said of facing FBS teams. The odds are against you in these money games, but we have the attitude of not losing the game before we get there. Well show up, we will fight, I can guarantee you that. There wont be any quit in us.Washington has enjoyed moderate success over the past few years but entered 2016 ranked in the AP preseason poll for the first time since 2003. Two game in and it is living up to preseason hype, leading Rutgers by 45 in a 48-13 win in the opener and scoring the first 42 points in last weeks 59-14 victory over Idaho.The Huskiess have certainly made a believer out of Barnum, who has said they are a national title contender.dddddddddddd.If I was in front of the tote board, Id mortgage my house, he said, and put it on the Huskies.The programs first Pac-12 title since 2000 is on the minds of Huskie fans and sophomore quarterback Jake Browning is a big reason why.Browning tied the school record with five touchdown passes last week to give him eight on the season to just one interception. His 74.5 completion percentage is fourth-best in the FBS among those with at least 50 attempts and his average of 10.6 yards per attempt ranks sixth.He now gets to take on defense that is struggling against the pass.The Vikings were 12th in the FCS in opponent passer rating last season, intercepting 18 passes. Theyve yet to pick off a pass this year and have the FCS 12th-worst opponent QB rating.While the defense is off to a slow start, Portland States rushing attack hasnt missed a beat from last season.The Vikings rank in the top 20 in the FCS in run yards (244 per game) and average (5.4), with dual-threat quarterback Alex Kuresa and seniors Paris Penn and Nate Tago all rushing for at least 150 yards. Penn is averaging 8.6 per attempt and Kuresa has already amassed 587 total yards with five touchdowns.Portland States quarterback is the best runner weve seen yet. Hes hard to tackle, said Washington coach Chris Petersen, who played quarterback at Portland State from 1993-94. Portland State does a great job with their offense. Its a really good scheme, theyre playing to their strengths and their quarterback really makes some things happen.Kuresa, however, didnt have one of his better performances last week, throwing a career-high three interceptions. It didnt help that senior Darnell Adams, Portland States leading receiver of 2015, was injured on the first offensive play and is unlikely to play this week.Safety Walter Santiago, a senior captain, was also injured on the defenses first play and is done for the year.In its only other meeting with Washington in 2012, Portland State trailed 45-0 at halftime and went on to lose 52-13.The Huskies, very fast football team, Barnum said. Theyre ranked eighth, were ranked 19th, so, you know, we should be in it. ' ' '