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Brewers open four-game series with Cubs

Apr 9, 2012 - 3:01 PM (Sports Network) - Right-hander Shaun Marcum begins his second season with the Milwaukee Brewers tonight when they visit Wrigley Field for the first of four games with the host Chicago Cubs.

The Brewers, who won the National League's Central Division last season, opened 2012 with two losses in three home games with division rival St. Louis, which earned a wildcard berth before a playoff run to the World Series title.

On Sunday, Carlos Beltran went 3-for-5 with a two-run home run and the Cardinals used another offensive outburst to rout the Brewers, 9-3.

St. Louis was shut out by Zack Greinke on Saturday but scored 11 runs on Friday.

Milwaukee's Randy Wolf (0-1) struck out seven but allowed three runs on nine hits over five innings in a losing effort.

Corey Hart and Ryan Braun each smacked a solo home run but Milwaukee was held to just five hits overall.

Marcum, a 29-year-old Missouri native, made 120 appearances in five seasons with Toronto before arriving in Milwaukee for 2011 and going 13-7 with a 3.54 earned run average in 33 starts.

The 6-foot, 195-pounder allowed 175 hits and struck out 158 batters in 200 2/3 innings while walking 57.

Marcum has made two career starts against the Cubs and won both while allowing just three runs on 12 hits in 14 innings - walking only one batter and striking out 11.

For Chicago, 25-year-old righty Chris Volstad starts for the first time after four big-league seasons with the Florida Marlins.

The former first-round pick - 16th overall, 2005 - won a career-high 12 games with the Marlins in 2010 before dropping to just 5-13 in 29 starts with Florida last season.

Volstad has made four career starts against the Brewers, splitting a pair of decisions with a 1.71 ERA in 26 1/3 innings.

He's allowed 22 hits and five runs with four walks and 15 strikeouts.

On Sunday in Chicago, Jeff Samardzija nearly finished the game while Alfonso Soriano added two RBI as the Cubs avoided the sweep at the hands of the Washington Nationals with a 4-3 win.

Samardzija (1-0) pitched into the ninth inning, but was pulled with two outs after he got into trouble. He gave up three runs - one earned - on four hits with eight strikeouts while Carlos Marmol retired the last batter for his first save of the season.

Starlin Castro had two hits, an RBI and two runs scored while Ian Stewart also drove in a run for the Cubs, who got two doubles from Bryan LaHair.

The Brewers lost five of seven in Chicago last season.