MILWAUKEE — With a short turnaround after an extra-inning game, the Cubs needed major-league ERA leader Kyle Hendricks to provide a strong start Monday afternoon.

Hendricks delivered 6 strong innings, and the Cubs broke away late to defeat the Milwaukee Brewers 7-2.

“After like really awkward games, he has really picked us up,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. “That’s just who he is. He normally gets you deeply into the game.”

“That’s who he is, man. You pretty much have an idea what you’re going to get when he goes out there.”

Pinch hitter Chris Coghlan came through with a go-ahead single in a 2-run seventh. He stayed in the game and got a 2-run single in a 4-run eighth for the NL Central leaders.

Hendricks (14-7) gave up 1 run — on Chris Carter’s 33rd homer — and 5 hits and left with a 2.07 ERA. He is 5-0 with a 1.30 ERA over his last 7 starts.

The right-hander has allowed 3 or fewer earned runs in each of his last 19 starts, which is the longest streak by any pitcher in the majors this season.

“After that at-bat (Carter home run), I did a much better job kind of pitching inside, just to give myself some more room glove-side,” Hendricks said.

It was 1-1 in the seventh when Zach Davies (10-7) retired the first two batters. Montero then doubled and scored on the single by Coghlan, who took second on the throw.

Tommy La Stella followed with an infield single that second baseman Scooter Gennett misplayed into the outfield, allowing Coghlan to score.

“If we don’t do it right out of the gate, then our belief is always that we’ll do it before it’s over,” Coghlan said. “I don’t think we ever lose that. And that’s why we’re so confident. And that’s why it’s tough to shut us out and to keep us down.”

Davies allowed 2 earned runs on 6 hits over 6? innings.

The Cubs tied the game in the sixth on a two-out, broken-bat single by Jorge Soler.

“Every run they scored, even the basehits he gave up, that was soft contact,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “Some jam shots. If anything, they get rewarded for contact today. It wasn’t hard contact; it was just contact and they got rewarded for that. He pitched great.”

Jason Heyward and Javier Baez drove in runs in the eighth off Ben Rowen before Coghlan capped the inning with his hit against Rob Scahill.

Ryan Braun hit his 25th homer in the Milwaukee ninth.

Kris Bryant went 0-for-5, ending his streak of consecutive games reaching base at a career-best 21. It was the second-longest run by a Cubs player this season. Anthony Rizzo reached in 26 straight games over parts of April and May.

Right-hander Jason Hammel (14-7, 3.14 ERA) will start the second game of the series for the Cubs. Hammel is 10-1 with a 2.50 ERA in 14 career starts against the Brewers.