From Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Brewers 3, Cubs 2
W: Narveson (7-6) L: Dempster (7-8) SV: Axford (28)
Chris Narveson and Ryan Dempster competed in a great pitching duel that saw all the runs scored in the first inning.
The Chicago Cubs got ahead early on Narveson when Jeff Baker led off the game with a single on the very first pitch. Aramis Ramirez slammed a two-run homer to left field to give them the lead. It is never a good sign when Brewer's arch-nemesis Ryan Dempster, who has a 15-4 record against the Crew, gets an early run support. It is nearly impossible for the Brewers to get hits against him let alone two runs.
Milwaukee defied the odds in the home half of the first when Corey Hart led off with a double. After Nyjer Morgan struck out in a terrible at-bat, Ryan Braun broke his bat on a soft fly ball that fell in play in right field to score Hart. With Braun sitting at second after his double, Prince Fielder singled on a ground ball that moved Braun to third. After Rickie Weeks was called out on a questionable strike three, Casey "the Cub Killer" McGehee tripled on a line drive down the right field line. Braun trotted home as Fielder hustled around the bases to score from first. The Miller Park crowd went into a frenzy as the Brewers took the lead.
It was now up to Narveson to a pitch perfectly for the rest of the game. Narveson allowed eight hits but no more runs in five innings pitched. He was removed from the game in the sixth after Geovany Soto singled, Marlon Byrd doubled, and Carlos Pena walked. The Brewers caught a lucky break when the Cubs third base coach did not send Soto home on Byrd's double.
With the bases loaded and nobody out, manager Ron Roenicke called on Kameron Loe to get out of the jam. The notorious ground ball pitcher got Alfonso Soriano to hit one right to McGehee who quickly threw home for the force out. Loe then got Darwin Barney to ground to McGehee who turned the double play. The crowd went wild as Milwaukee got out of the mess.
LaTroy Hawkins pitched a good seventh with the only flub coming off a Starlin Castro single. Francisco Rodriguez was in front of the Milwaukee fans for the first time as he pitched a perfect eighth and struck out two in the process. John Axford came in to close the game and ran into trouble when Kosuke Fukudome singled with two outs. He then struck out Blake DeWitt to end the game. It was Axford's 25th consecutive save which ties a franchise record held by Doug Jones, who did it in 1997.
Milwaukee's bullpen was absolutely outstanding and the key factor in the victory. This is exactly what the Brewers need to make a difference in the division. If the bullpen can keep it up and continue to have success, there is no reason why the Brewers will not be sitting atop the NL Central come October.
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