Milwaukee's bashers just got a little bit faster.

When the Milwaukee Brewers signed center fielder Mike Cameron as a free agent in January, the primary focus was on how he would help shore up one of the league's poorest defenses.

But Brewers fans got a look at another strong facet of Cameron's all-around game in Milwaukee's 10-7 win over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Tueseday night.

The man not only knows how to get on base but he can run the bases well, too.

"One other stat on Mike that stood out in our minds is that he's gone from first to third more than anybody in baseball the last two years," general manager Doug Melvin said at the time of Cameron's signing and repeated it often during spring training. "To do that for two years in a row is pretty phenomenal."

Cameron doubled in the first inning against the Cubs Tuesday night and reached base four times. He scored twice and delivered a two-run single in the seventh. He also beat out an infield single and drew a walk. More importantly, Milwaukee scored in every inning that the 35-year-old Cameron reached base.

While Cameron didn't steal a base, Melvin and manager Ned Yost know that will come. Since 1999, Cameron has had five seasons in which he has produced at least 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases. That might be difficult to do after sitting out the first 25 games of the season, but Cameron's impact on the base paths is expected to provide a spark for the Brewers' offense.

"We had players who were 1-fo-17 going first to third and 5-for-23. He was 15-for-22 (last season) so he's an aggressive baserunner who gets the proper leads and gets good jumps," Melvin said. "But he is very aggressive."