Brewers-Cubs - Series Recap

The Cubs took two of three from the Brewers in this three-game set. The Brewers finish their nine-game road trip 3-6 and fall to two and a half games behind the Cubs for first place in the NL Central.

Tuesday - Cubs win 5-3: Corey Hart picked up three RBI (one in the third and two in the fifth) to give the Brewers a 3-0 lead. The Cubs cut the lead to two with a single tally in the bottom of the fifth inning on a Rich Hill RBI single. Jeff Suppan pitched six solid innings for the Brewers. He gave up just two runs while striking out four and walking none. Suppan threw only 78 pitches going into the seventh inning but after he hit Cliff Floyd to start the inning he was pulled by Brewers manager Ned Yost. Scott Linebrink came to give up three hits and three runs, one earned. Jacque Jones hit a double that scored Floyd and Mark DeRosa to tie the game at three. Two outs later, Ryan Theriot hit a high boucning ground ball back to Linebrink who misplaced it and Jones scored the go ahead run on the play. Derrek Lee then singled home pinch runner Felix Pie to make it 5-3 Cubs. Hill picked up the win after throwing seven innings and giving up three runs while striking out nine and walking none. Ryan Dempster pitched the ninth to pick the save.

Wednesday - Brewers win 6-1: Ben Sheets made his return from the DL in a big way. He picked up the win by pitching six innings and giving up just one run and six hits. The Cubs scored first in the game on a sac fly by Aramis Ramirez that scored Carlos Zambrano who reached on an infield single. The Brewers tied the game in the fourth when Hart tripled home Prince Fielder with two outs. The Crew took the lead for good in the fifth when Gabe Gross doubled and Rickie Weeks scored. The big inning for the Brewers came in the seventh inning when they picked up four more runs off Zambrano. The four runs came on hits by Ryan Braun (double) and Geoff Jenkins (single off Scott Eyre). Zambrano picked up another loss in the month of August by giving up six runs, five earned in seven innings of work. Hart went 3-4 in the game for the Brewers.

Thursday - Cubs win 5-4: The Brewers took the lead right away in this game with a lead off homer from Weeks. The Crew tacked on another run in the inning when Kevin Mench doubled home J.J. Hardy. The Cubs took the lead in the bottom of the second inning against Brewers starter Manny Parra. DeRosa singled home Ramirez and Craig Monroe to tie the game at two. Two batters later, Jones singled home DeRosa to give the Cubs the lead. The Brewers were able to tie the game in next half inning on a Mench sac fly that scored Braun. Parra had to leave the game after three innings of work because he injured his left thumb on a bunt attempt in the top of the fourth inning. Parra pitched three innings, gave up three runs and three hits, walked three and struck out three. Cubs starter Ted Lilly pitched just five innings and picked up a no-decision as he left the game when it was tied.

Chris Capuano relieved Parra and it was more of the same for Capuano. He picked up another loss (his 12th in a row, 18th straight loss for the Brewers when Capuano pitches) after allowing two runs in four innings of work. The two runs came on back-to-back homers by Matt Murton and Alfonso Soriano. Carlos Marmol pitched two scoreless innings and got the win for the Cubs. The Brewers tried to mount a comeback in the ninth but came up just short. Hart drew a bases loaded walk that scored Joe Dillon. Mench came up next, swung at the first pitch and grounded into a force out to end the game. Left-handed hitting Geoff Jenkins was left sitting on the bench as Mench made the last out. The Brewers left 11 runners on base, four of those at third base.