• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Cubs hand Sabathia first NL loss, ruin debut of Sveum

Sep 17, 2008 - 5:24 AM CHICAGO (Ticker) -- Having a new manager in the dugout and their ace on the mound could not stop the slide for the Milwaukee Brewers.

Alfonso Soriano homered and Ryan Dempster tossed six strong innings as the Chicago Cubs handed CC Sabathia his first National League setback with a 5-4 win over the Brewers on Tuesday.

Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez chipped in an RBI double apiece for the Cubs (91-58), who have won five in a row and moved nine games ahead of the Brewers (83-68) in the NL Central. Their magic number to clinch the division is four.

"We have a long way to go but it has been a lot of fun," Dempster said. "Right now, if we keep winning ball games we know good things will happen for us. We are not getting caught up in the standings or anything like that."

Playing their first game under interim manager Dale Sveum after the unexpected firing of Ned Yost on Monday, the reeling Brewers lost for the 12th time in 15 games this month to fall one-half game behind the New York Mets (83-67) in the NL wild card race.

"We have been in that position for quite a long time and that spot was ours, but we lost it tonight," Sveum said of the wild card. "There are 11 games left to get it back. We were in this position last year and it went right down to the end. It looks like that will happen again."

Sveum made several changes to the lineup on his first day, moving Mike Cameron to the leadoff spot and dropping All-Star Corey Hart down to sixth to try to spark Milwaukee, which has not scored more than four runs in any of its last 14 games.

"This is something I haven't done before, so it was kind of cool," Sveum said of his managerial debut. "I had a lot of anxiety all day long and yesterday too. Once the game started everything seemed to calm down and then I felt comfortable."

The lineup changes had little effect against Dempster (16-6), who allowed one hit through the first four innings. The righthander was lifted after allowing two runs and seven hits with a walk and nine strikeouts in six frames.

Sabathia (9-1) had not lost since coming over in a trade with the Cleveland Indians on July 7. The hefty lefthander allowed four runs and nine hits in seven innings.

"It's part of the game," Sabathia said. "You know going in that (a loss) could happen, so all you can do is keep trying to help the team win. Tonight I didn't do that. I needed to give up three runs instead of four. If I do that it's a different game."

"We hit some balls hard but (Sabathia) is a horse," Chicago manager Lou Piniella said. "He pitches a lot of innings, and not only throws his fastball but changes speed well."

Lee got Chicago on the board in the first with his 38th double of the season that plated Soriano, who led off with a double.

Ramirez pushed the lead to 3-0 with a two-run double in the third off Sabathia, who has allowed eight runs in two starts against the Cubs since joining the Brewers.

Prince Fielder homered twice and Ray Durham doubled home a run in the ninth, but Kerry Wood struck out Fielder with runners on first and third to end the game and pick up with 31st save.

"(Wood) made a good pitch and you have to tip your cap," Fielder said. "He is one of the best closers. We were going at each other, and that is part of the game."