MILWAUKEE -- Matt Garza knows all about the trade speculation. It certainly didnt distract him Thursday against the Brewers. The right-hander struck out 10 in seven solid innings and Dioner Navarro hit a three-run homer, sending the Chicago Cubs to a 7-2 victory over Milwaukee. Garza can become a free agent after the season and is expected to be one of the top pitchers available on the trade market as the July 31 non-waiver deadline approaches. "Somebody asked me today, Well, do you sit by your phone?" Garza said. "I said, No. No phone calls. No worries, guys. Im not too worried about it, just going to keep plugging away every five days." Garza (3-1) had his third consecutive strong outing. He allowed one run on eight hits and a walk while throwing 101 pitches. He spent the first seven weeks of the season on the disabled list with a left lat strain sustained in spring training. Garza was making his eighth start since returning on May 21, and has given up only two earned runs over 22 innings in his last three outings. "I like where Im at, and Im just going to try to keep improving," he said. The Cubs broke the game open with four runs in the third, capped by Navarros seventh homer. Milwaukee made a pair of errors and all the runs in the inning off Wily Peralta (5-9) were unearned. "Every opportunity I get Im going to try to do the best I can," said Navarro, who has 89 at-bats this year. "I obviously dont try to hit a homer every time I go to the plate, but I try to get good swings. I feel that I hit the ball pretty good the four times today. I was fortunate enough to get one." Peralta gave up seven runs, three earned, on eight hits and a walk while striking out two in five innings. He allowed the leadoff batter to reach base on singles in each of the first four innings, and three of those runners scored. "We played really poorly behind him," Milwaukee manager Ron Roenicke said. "He didnt make pitches. He didnt pitch as well as he did last time but I was glad he came out and at least kept us in the ballgame and was able to give us five innings." Milwaukees Juan Francisco homered for the third consecutive game, his ninth this year, but committed a costly error in the third that led to three unearned runs. For the second consecutive game, the Cubs took advantage of Milwaukee errors and fielding miscues. Ryan Sweeney singled leading off the second inning, stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch. Brian Bogusevic, starting in left field for the second straight game in place of Alfonso Soriano, doubled down the left-field line to score Sweeney and make it 1-0. One out later, Darwin Barneys liner went off Peraltas glove for a single that scored Bogusevic. Starlin Castro led off the third with a single and stole second. One out later, Sweeneys liner to left went off the glove of Caleb Gindl for a two-base error, making it 3-0. Anthony Rizzo struck out for the second out. Bogusevic then hit a hard grounder to third, and Aramis Ramirezs throw to first was in time but went off Franciscos glove for the second error of the inning. Navarro followed by hitting the first pitch from Peralta down the right-field line for a three-run homer to make it 6-0. "Nobody wants to make errors, but its going to happen," Peralta said. "I still have to execute, make pitches and pick up my team, but I wasnt able to do that." An error by second baseman Rickie Weeks in the fourth inning Wednesday night allowed two unearned runs to score in a 5-4 Cubs win over the Brewers. NOTES: Cubs prospect Jorge Soler has a stress fracture in his left leg and will be out four to six weeks. Soler was selected to the World Team for the All-Star Futures Game, but will be unable to play. He was batting .281 with eight home runs and 35 RBIs in 55 games for Class-A Daytona. ... The game began with the roof open, but when rain threatened it was closed in the fifth inning. ... Sean Halton made his major league debut with a pinch-hit single in the fifth for Milwaukee. He was recalled from Triple-A Nashville before the game. ... Weeks extended his hitting streak to 11 games. Brewers SS Jean Segura ran his streak to 10 games. NMD Discount . "Four now," Carl Gunnarsson told the Leaf Report proudly following a 5-2 victory over New York on Tuesday night, the clubs fifth straight at home. NMD Online . 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. https://www.cheapnmdoutlet.com/ . Pirlo limped out of Sundays 1-0 win over Udinese after just 13 minutes. Juventus says Pirlo underwent tests on Monday which revealed he has "a second-degree lesion to the collateral medial ligament in his right knee. NMD Store .25 million option on reliever Jose Veras. NMD Cheap . -- The Portland Timbers and Real Salt Lake played to a 0-0 tie Saturday night that left the top of the Western Conference standings unchanged. MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Vikings have leaned on their ferocious, fiery defense all season long to hang around the playoff field in the NFC.When they needed them most, they were nowhere to be found.Andrew Luck threw for 250 yards and two touchdowns, shredding the leagues second-ranked defense in the Indianapolis Colts 34-6 victory over the Vikings on Sunday.The Vikings (7-7) believed they needed to win the final three games of the season to make the playoffs. But they gave up 411 yards, 101 yards rushing to Frank Gore and allowed the Colts to convert 54 percent of their third downs in a backbreaking loss.There was a lot at stake -- make the playoffs, make this push to get to our ultimate goal, Vikings cornerback Captain Munnerlyn said. To lay an egg like this, Im at a loss for words. I dont know.The Vikings ranked second in the NFL in yards and points allowed and had made star quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers, Cam Newton, Eli Manning and Matthew Stafford look ordinary with their relentless, attacking scheme.But Luck completed 21 of 28 passes and the Colts led 27-0 at halftime. Twice they drove at least 88 yards for touchdowns, one that ended with a 50-yard strike from Luck to Phillip Dorsett to start the fourth quarter.Its a really, really good defense and we managed to come out on the positive end more often than not, Luck said. Weve done a decent job in backed-up situations all year so we were glad to get those drives again.The most glaring moment came in the second quarter when Robert Turbin broke four tackles -- two from standout defensive end Everson Griffen -- on a 6-yard touchdown run that was his second of the game. The boos came raining down, and Munnerlyn couldnt blame them.I felt like we came out lackadaisical like we were just going to get this win, Munnerlyn said. Like theyre going to read the names and look at the stats and theyre going to lay down for us. It didnt work like that.Here are some other important notes from the game:PETERSONS RETURNVikings running back Adrian Peterson returned after missing the previous 11 games while recovering from a torn meniscus in his right knee. His comeback came one week sooner than he expected after a good week of practice, but he only managed 22 yards on six carries.The former MVP rushed for just 50 yards in the first two games of the season before getting injured and was no more effective against the Colts.His fumble in Colts territory inn the second quarter came after his only decent run of the day, a 13-yard burst.dddddddddddd He played sparingly in the second half.Definitely not what I envisioned coming into this game, Peterson said. Its unfortunate that it ended the way it did.COLTS O-LINE ROLLSWith two regular starters along the offensive line out of the game, Indianapolis didnt allow a sack for the first time all season and rushed for 161 yards.Jonotthan Harrison started at left guard. Joe Haeg moved to right guard and LaRaven Clark entered the starting lineup at right tackle.Indianapolis had allowed 31 sacks in the first eight games. The line has given up just nine in the past six games.I think I told someone last night during our production meeting that `you will be pleasantly surprised with how these guys play, Luck said. They work their butts off. They do everything right and it was really, really good to see it all come together today.MORE FOR MATHISRobert Mathis continues to prove hes one of the leagues top pass rushers. In his 14th season, Mathis got his 122nd sack and 51st forced fumble.Mathis surpassed Clyde Simmons and tied Simeon Rice for the 18th on the leagues career sack list. Mathis blew past Minnesota left tackle T.J. Clemmings and stripped quarterback Sam Bradford on the opening drive of the third quarter.Us pass rushers, frontline guys, you have to affect the quarterback, Mathis said.LINE SHUFFLEVikings center Joe Berger missed the two previous games with a concussion, but returned to play on Sunday. With right guard Joe Berger out with a concussion, Berger moved over to fill his place and Nick Easton started his third straight game at center.VIKINGS MISTAKESThe Vikings had stopped the Colts near the goal line in the first quarter after Munnerlyn broke up a pass intended for T.Y. Hilton. Adam Vinatieri was lining up for his second field goal try of the day, a chip shot that would have made it 6-0.But Vikings defensive tackle Linval Joseph tried to jump over long snapper Matt Overton to block it. That is illegal in the NFL, and the penalty gave the Colts a fresh set of downs.Turbin plowed in two plays later for a 10-0 lead.The Vikings committed six penalties and three turnovers in the game.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '