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Brewers-Cubs Preview

Aug 4, 2010 - 5:22 AM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

Milwaukee (49-58) at Chicago (46-60), 2:20 p.m. EDT

The Milwaukee Brewers have solved their recent woes by adding to those of the Chicago Cubs.

The Brewers will try to send the Cubs to a season-high eighth consecutive defeat and record their first sweep at Wrigley Field in eight years in Wednesday's three-game series finale.

Milwaukee (50-58) had dropped five in a row before Monday night's 18-1 romp at Chicago (46-61). The Brewers followed up that 26-hit outburst with a more subdued 4-3 victory Tuesday.

Casey McGehee, who played nine games for the Cubs in 2008, drove in Tuesday's key run on a sacrifice fly in the seventh, giving him six RBIs in the series against his former club. Prince Fielder also drove in a run after he had s season-high five RBIs in Monday's win, while Ryan Braun is 8 for 11 over the two games in Chicago after hitting .140 in his previous 13.

"We've had a real good approach in this series," McGehee said.

Chicago has been outscored 67-20 during its longest skid since an eight-game drought May 17-25, 2009. The Cubs went 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position in Tuesday's loss and have batted .152 in those situations over the past seven games.

"Again, we get people on and we just don't get them in," manager Lou Piniella said. "That's been a recurring theme ... You've got to work your way out of this. These other teams, they're not going to feel sorry for you. They see a team that's down and they're going to play to keep them down."

Chicago hasn't been swept at home by Milwaukee since May 9-12, 2002. Having Ryan Dempster (8-8, 3.92 ERA) on the mound could help the Cubs keep that the last time.

The right-hander is 13-3 with a 2.81 lifetime ERA against the Brewers, including four straight wins. He has more victories over Milwaukee than any other opponent.

Dempster is 2-0 with a 3.72 ERA in three starts versus the Brewers this season benefiting from 19 runs of support in those outings. However, he's 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA in his last three starts overall, and was tagged for five runs and seven hits while walking five in a season-low four-plus innings of Friday's 17-2 loss at Colorado.

"You're going to have tough outings. You just have to go back out there," Dempster told the Cubs' official website. "What's the worst that can happen? You lose? I've done that before."

Milwaukee starter Manny Parra (3-8, 5.42) will also be looking to end his struggles in Wednesday's game, having gone 0-3 with an 8.31 ERA in his last four starts. He's 0-1 with an 8.64 ERA in two career starts versus the Cubs, but pitched two innings of hitless relief against them April 23.

A win Wednesday would give the Brewers four consecutive victories over Chicago for the first time since 2006.