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Brewers top Cubs to end skid

Sep 18, 2008 - 5:12 AM CHICAGO (Ticker) -- The Milwaukee Brewers may have lost one of their aces, but at least they finally won a game.

Prince Fielder continued his hot streak with three hits and three RBI as the Brewers snapped a five-game losing streak with a 6-2 win over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday.

Righthander Ben Sheets left the game after two innings with tightness in his right forearm, but seven relievers combined to hold the Cubs to five hits and one run over the final seven frames.

"I am feeling bummed out (because) I had to come out of a game after two innings," Sheets said. "I don't know what happened today, but my elbow has bothered me for a while now.

"Some where in the Derrek Lee at-bat ( in the first inning) I started feeling things tug in my elbow. I have been fighting this thing off for a while, but today I could not get the ball where I needed."

Milwaukee has lost 12 of 16 games in September to watch its 5 1/2-game lead in the National League wild- card standings dissolve into a half-game deficit. The offense had been non-existent for much of that stretch, managing four runs or less in 14 consecutive games prior to Wednesday.

"This win is good but all these games are big," Fielder said. "Which ever game we win now is big, but it's

not anymore important than the next game we win."

Fielder ignited the attack early with a bases-loaded double off Jason Marquis (10-9) in the first inning to stake the Brewers to a 3-0 advantage.

Mike Cameron, who was moved into the leadoff spot by interim manager Dale Sveum, singled and Ray Durham and Ryan Braun walked to load the bases for Fielder, who laced the first pitch from Marquis to the wall in right to clear the bases.

"I was trying to be aggressive and just see the ball and hit it," Fielder said. "It hit the barrel and I was happy that it did."

Fielder finished 3-for-4 and is batting .524 (11-for-21) with four homers and nine RBI in the last six games.

"(Fielder) is a dangerous hitter and you have to make pitches to him," Marquis said. "Both pitches (on the doubles in the first and fifth) were middle-middle. He is seeing the ball real well right now. You have to keep him out of situations were he can break the game open."

Sveum, who replaced Ned Yost at the helm on Monday, picked up his first win for Milwaukee (84-68), which remained one-half game behind the New York Mets (84-67) in the wild-card race.

"A big sigh of relief," Sveum said of his first win. "The boys did come out and swing the bats well tonight. We held on and our bullpen was fantastic."

Aramis Ramirez homered in the second to cut the deficit to 3-1, but the Cubs failed to gain any ground against the Brewers' bullpen. Righthanded rookie Mark DiFelice (1-0) pitched two innings and was credited with his first major league win.

"It's an unbelievable feeling," DiFelice said. "I was in the bullpen and they called my name. I didn't know Ben had gotten hurt. It didn't even hit me until I was out on the mound pitching, but the win feels great."

J.J. Hardy hit an RBI double and Corey Hart added a two-run single in a three-run seventh for Milwaukee.