Paired with Contreras, Arrieta takes blame for walks

CHICAGO — Cubs manager Joe Maddon felt it was time to let rookie catcher Willson Contreras take Jake Arrieta out for a “test drive.”

On Thursday, for the first time this season, Contreras was behind the plate to catch Arrieta in the Cubs’ series finale against the Brewers, a 9-6 win that capped a four-game sweep for Chicago. Miguel Montero has been matched with the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner this season, although David Ross caught Arrieta’s no-hitter on April 21 in Cincinnati.

“We’ll take a test drive and see what it looks like,” Maddon said of Contreras’ opportunity before the game. “He’s definitely prepared for the moment.”

It wasn’t a good outing for Arrieta, who walked a career-high seven batters but pitched well enough to earn the win.

“It’s not on Willson at all,” Maddon said. “Jake was just having a hard time with the zone.”

Arrieta gave up three hits over 5 2/3 innings to collect his 15th win, tied for the most in the NL with the Nationals’ Stephen Strasburg. The seven walks were the most by a Cubs pitcher since Carlos Zambrano issued that many June 10, 2011, at Philadelphia.

“Willson and I are pretty comfortable with each other [despite] not having worked in an actual game …

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