Brewers ready for 'electric atmosphere' vs. Cubs
MILWAUKEE -- The Milwaukee Brewers have spent 10 days atop the National League Central Division this season, but the latest stay was a one-day affair.
With the league-leading Chicago Cubs coming to town Monday to begin a four-day series at Miller Park, the Brew Crew has a chance to oust the Cubbies from their perch and in the process extend their club record of seven sellouts to 11 by Thursday.
Let the fun begin.
"This is a series for the fans," said infielder Craig Counsell, who grew up a Brewers fan when his dad, John, was a member of the club's front office from 1979 to 1987. "It's going to be an electric atmosphere for both teams.
"It's an important four-game series. But after it's over, we still have another 57 games left to play."
Houston made the Brewers' most recent stay in first place a brief one with an 11-6 victory over Milwaukee on Sunday before a sellout crowd of 41,565 at Miller Park.
So much for the momentum the Brewers had after winning seven straight road games and nine of their last 10 games entering Sunday's disappointing series finale.
Losing two of three to the Astros isn't what the Crew wanted to do with the Cubs on deck.
But it didn't look like it was going to end that way earlier on Sunday when Milwaukee held a 4-1 lead and the Cubs trailed Florida 5-0 at Wrigley Field.
The Cubs, however, rallied for a 9-6 victory over the Marlins, while Houston used a seven-run outburst in the fifth inning to topple the Brewers.
The Astros rocked Milwaukee starter Jeff Suppan for eight earned runs on 11 hits in six innings. Seth McClung later allowed three runs in the eighth inning.
"I would say location was a big factor," said Suppan, whose ERA jumped from 4.65 to 5.04 in arguably his worst outing since April 30, when the Cubs torched him for eight runs on 11 hits in just 3 2/3 innings in a 19-5 rout. "When you're able to locate, usually it's on the ground. I had some bloops, a walk and, obviously, a three-run home run."
Yet, with the Cubs (61-44) coming to town, there is little time to reflect on what might have been.
Both clubs made key moves to jockey for position in the NL Central race. After Milwaukee traded for Cleveland ace CC Sabathia on July 7, the Cubs countered the next day by acquiring right-hander Rich Harden from Oakland.
"Tomorrow's a new day. We just move on," said the Brewers' Mike Rivera, who had an RBI double in the second inning in just his 11th start at catcher this season and first since July 10. "We're in the position we want to be. We're battling for a division title and a playoff berth."
Ryan Braun, who blasted his 28th homer of the year in the third inning to give Milwaukee (60-45) a 4-1 lead, said he is eager to play the Cubs, who are just 4-6 since the All-Star break.
"Last year the pressure was on us at this time but the pressure is on them this year," he said. "All the expectations are on them. We've been going out and having fun. That's what we need to keep doing."
Braun won't get any arguments from his teammates about that point of view.
"These games against the Cubs are big but I think they are more important to the fans and the media," said shortstop J.J. Hardy, who extended his hitting streak to nine games with an RBI single in the sixth and also drove in a run in the ninth on a groundout to third base.
"They're big games but we still have two months to go in the season. We have a long way to go. We just need to keep our focus on our main goal and have fun playing the game."
Manager Ned Yost, who has taken the franchise from doormat status to contention for the organization's first playoff berth in 26 years, said the fans should just enjoy the moment and not get wrapped up in looking too far ahead.
"We're right where we think we should be," he said. "It's a fun time for the fans. We're playing the way we should be playing.
"But we've got two months of baseball left. That's a long way to go."
SERIES AT A GLANCE
Monday's pitching matchup
Milwaukee: LHP CC Sabathia (4-0, 1.36 ERA with Milwaukee, 10-8, 3.30 overall). The Brewers open their biggest series of the season with their new co-ace making his 23rd start of the year, fifth start with the Brewers and his first start against the Cubs. He pitched a three-hit shutout at St. Louis on Wednesday for his third consecutive complete game and his fourth Brewers win in as many starts since a July 7 trade from Cleveland. He faced only three three-ball counts all night and took a no-hitter into the sixth inning. He is the first Brewers pitcher to throw three straight complete games since Cal Eldred had four in a row from June 17 to July 2, 1994. Sabathia went 6-8 with a 3.83 ERA in 18 starts with the Indians, going 0-3 with a 13.50 ERA over his first four starts (18 innings, 27 earned runs). Since that time he is 10-5 with a 1.97 ERA in 18 starts beginning April 22 (137 1/3 innings, 30 earned runs).
Chicago: LHP Ted Lilly (10-6, 4.49 ERA). Lilly is coming off a win against Arizona when he was nearly a one-man wrecking crew. He allowed three runs on six hits over six innings and delivered an RBI single, stole a base, threw out a potential base stealer and assisted in a rundown play. Lilly is one of three Cubs pitchers with at least 10 wins. He lost to Milwaukee 8-2 on April 2.
Tuesday: Milwaukee RHP Ben Sheets (10-3, 2.87) vs. Chicago RHP Carlos Zambrano (11-4, 2.96), 7:05 p.m.
Wednesday: Milwaukee LHP Manny Parra (9-3, 3.72) vs. Chicago RHP Ryan Dempster (11-4, 2.99), 7:08 p.m.
Thursday: RHP Dave Bush (5-8, 4.51) vs. Chicago RHP Rich Harden (0-1, 1.04), 1:05 p.m.
Must-see series
All four games vs. Chicago at Miller Park are expected to be sellouts. Club officials confirmed on Sunday that only a few obstructed-view, single seats remain for any of the games.
Meanwhile, Sunday's attendance at Miller Park was 41,565, the Brewers' seventh consecutive sellout and 23rd of the season. The seven sellouts in a row ties a record set July 19-Aug. 2, 2007. The season total is 1,861,847, an average of 36,507.
If you can't get a ticket
All four games will be televised on FSN Wisconsin. ESPN has added Wednesday's Brewers-Cubs game to its broadcast schedule.
Around the diamond
** The Brewers and Cubs opened the 2008 season at Wrigley Field, with Milwaukee winning two of the three games from March 31 to April 3. The teams met again in Chicago April 29-May 1 with the Brewers winning two of three to grab a 4-2 lead in the season series.
** Following this series, the teams have a three-game series at Wrigley Field Sept. 16-18 and a three-game series at Miller Park to end the regular season Sept. 26-28.
** The Cubs are 4-6 since the All-Star break because their bats haven't kept up with the arms. They tallied two runs or fewer in every loss
** Three Cubs have some experience against Sabathia: Reed Johnson (8-for-21, one home run), Aramis Ramirez (3-for-7) and Alfonso Soriano (8-for-25, three home runs).
** The Brewers lead the majors with 20 wins in their final at-bat, including Saturday night's 6-4 victory vs. Houston. Milwaukee is 22-10 (.688) in one-run games this season. The Brewers have the most wins and the best winning percentage of any team in the majors in one-run games.
** The Brewers have homered in 22 of their last 23 games, which included a franchise record 20 straight. Milwaukee has hit 33 homers in that span. "We are who we are," Yost said.
** Bill Hall has produced what turned out to be the game-winning run in the Brewers' final at-bat three times this week. He belted home runs on Monday (10th inning) and Tuesday (ninth inning) at St. Louis and then had the go-ahead RBI single Saturday night (eighth inning) vs. Houston. "I'll take that kind of week as long as we win any time," Hall said.
** Corey Hart stole his team-leading 16th base of the season Sunday. He is 16-of-20 this season. Rickie Weeks is second on the club (14-of-18).
Morry Gash/Associated Press
Brewers pitcher CC Sabathia is scheduled to take the mound Monday to open a crucial series against the Cubs at Miller Park.
