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Cubs' Garza seeks to find win column against Brewers

Jun 7, 2012 - 2:40 PM (Sports Network) - Lack of offensive support doomed Matt Garza to a third straight loss last time out. The Cubs right-hander hasn't needed much help when facing the Brewers this season.

Garza tries for his first victory since late April this afternoon as Chicago concludes a three-game series with rival Milwaukee.

The 28-year-old Garza lost for the third time in as many starts in San Francisco on Saturday despite pitching well. After giving up 12 earned runs over his previous two outings, he allowed two runs over six innings on five hits and a walk with six strikeouts. However, he was outdueled by the Giants' Matt Cain in a 2-1 setback.

"He did a nice job. Once again, we just couldn't muster anything against the starting pitcher again," said Chicago manager Dale Sveum. "Same old thing. It's just unbelievable how we have a hard time scoring against starting pitchers."

Garza is winless in his past five outings since a victory in April 29 and is 2-4 with a 4.10 earned run average in 10 starts this season. However, that does include a pair of solid outings versus the Brewers.

He threw 8 2/3 scoreless innings to beat Milwaukee at home on April 12, then got a no-decision on the road a month later even though Garza gave up just a run over five innings. He is 3-1 with a 2.88 ERA in five career starts versus the Brewers.

Milwaukee's Randy Wolf faces off against the Cubs for a second time this season in a rematch of the May 11 outing with Garza. The veteran left-hander also got a no-decision in his team's eventual 8-7 win, hurling six scoreless innings of four-hit ball.

That outing is part of Wolf's current six-start winless stretch in which he has gone 0-3 with a 5.45 ERA since his last victory on April 30. He is coming off a loss to the Pirates in which he allowed six runs on eight hits and four walks over six innings. All six runs Wolf gave up came in a third inning and included a bases-loaded hit by Jose Tabata that may have been misplayed by outfielder Nyjer Morgan and brought in three runs.

"I just let one inning get away from me," Wolf said after falling to 2-5 with a 6.05 ERA in 11 starts this season.

The 35-year-old is 6-11 with a 4.05 ERA in 24 lifetime outings against the Cubs.

The Brewers have been racking up the strikeouts so far in this series, fanning Cubs batters a total of 29 times. Chicago whiffed a season-high 15 times in last night's 8-0 loss, with winning Milwaukee starter Zack Greinke logging a season-high 12 strikeouts over seven scoreless innings.

Greinke allowed two hits and a pair of walks in his seventh win of the season.

"He was a little off in that one inning, but he had great command of the fastball and cutter, it was all working for him today," said Brewers manager Ron Roenicke. "He has great confidence whenever he takes the mound here, and knows he'll throw the ball well. Whenever he feels like that, it means he throws all his pitches with confidence."

Brooks Conrad drove in two runs and Taylor Green added a pinch-hit, three-run homer for the Brewers, who had lost three of four. That included a 10-0 defeat in Tuesday's opener.

"It was a pretty incredible thing. I'd been waiting for a little while to get it. The guys had been getting on me a bit," Greene admitted of his first career homer, which came in the eighth inning.

Paul Maholm was dented for six hits and four runs over just four full frames for the Cubs, who have lost five of their last six.

Chicago has lost six of nine meetings with Milwaukee this season and 13 of the past 18 matchups between the NL Central foes.