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Cameron, Brewers snap three-game skid, beat Reds

Sep 10, 2008 - 10:13 PM By Dave Cotey PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

MILWAUKEE (Ticker) -- The Milwaukee Brewers desperately needed a spark. Mike Cameron provided it.

Cameron's RBI single in the eighth inning helped the Brewers avoid a three-game sweep Wednesday with a 4-3 comeback win over the Cincinnati Reds.

CC Sabathia did not pick up the win but pitched seven strong innings and helped the Brewers end what had been a disastrous homestand on a high note.

The Brewers finished their 10-game stay just 3-7, but they are still 3 1/2 games ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League wild card race. Milwaukee also moved within four games of the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central.

"You just keep grinding," Cameron said. "As crazy as it's been, this whole homestand, this one (win) here is - we'll be satisfied. We're able to get out of here with a good feeling. ... We've been stinking the last couple days, but we overcame today."

In the eighth, the Brewers loaded the bases off reliever David Weathers (2-6) on singles by J.J. Hardy and Prince Fielder and a walk by Ryan Braun. Tony Gwynn Jr., in the game for the injured Gabe Kapler, grounded into a double play to score Hardy and tie the score at 3-3.

Cameron followed with a line drive hit to left that scored Braun. Milwaukee finished 15-for-85 (.176) with runners in scoring position on the homestand.

"It's good to be a part of a good win today," Cameron said. "It's always good when you can get a big hit - especially where we've been the last few days, the highs and the lows. Everyone's been trying to maintain their composure and just try to compete."

Guillermo Mota (5-5) pitched a scoreless eighth in relief of Sabathia and Salomon Torres, who blew a save Monday, struck out the side in the ninth for his 27th save for the Brewers, who open a four-game series at Philadelphia on Thursday.

"You can't understate the significance of this four-game series," Brewers manager Ned Yost said. "It's going to be a big, big series because we're playing the Phillies, but there's other teams involved too. I'm sure Houston and St. Louis are licking their chops (because) we're going at it."

Sabathia, who is 9-0 in 13 starts with Milwaukee, allowed three runs and eight hits over seven innings with eight strikeouts. He gave up a three-run home run to Jerry Hairston in the the fifth inning, the fifth homer the 28-year-old lefthander has allowed as a Brewer.

"I was just trying to keep us in the game," Sabathia said. "I know that if I can keep it there, we're going to score some runs. Especially after the homestand we had, and heading into Philly, this win was very important."

Sabathia worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the third without a run and got out of a first-and-third, no-out mess in the sixth unscathed.

"It shouldn't have been that close," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "We had some opportunities with less than two outs, but CC buckled down and didn't allow us to score. We had him in serious trouble; somehow he got out of it with no runs."

Reds starter Bronson Arroyo allowed two runs - none earned - and five hits with four walks, leaving with a 3-2 lead and in line to win his fifth straight game.

"I was going against one of the hottest guys in the game, if not the hottest, and I knew it was going to be a low-scoring ballgame," Arroyo said. "When I came out and it was 3-2, I knew the game wasn't over. They got it done today."

Sabathia was responsible for all of the Brewers' offense through the first six innings when his RBI groundout off Arroyo scored Craig Counsell from third base in the bottom of the third.

The Brewers added another in the seventh when Cameron scored on shortstop Jeff Keppinger's throwing error.