• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Cubs, Brewers begin set in Milwaukee

Aug 20, 2012 - 2:56 PM (Sports Network) - The Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers had hoped that this string of late-August meetings would have playoff implications.

Instead, the two teams continue to play out the string as they open a three- game series against each other at Milwaukee's Miller Park.

The Brewers and Cubs are set to meet seven times over the next 11 games as Chicago will host Milwaukee from Aug. 27-30. The games will have little impact on the standings as the Brewers are 19 games out of first place and the Cubs 26.

Milwaukee is 12 1/2 games out of a wild card spot and has won seven of 10 against Chicago this season.

The Brewers lost for the seventh time in 10 games on Sunday and had to settle for a split of a four-game series with the Philadelphia Phillies due to an 8-0 loss in which they were held to five hits. Milwaukee even failed to plate a run in the bottom of the ninth inning despite loading the bases with one out.

Outfielder Ryan Braun had homered in five straight games against the Phillies and had gone 6-for-11 with four homers, six RBI and five runs scored over the first three games of the set, but went 1-for-4 with a strikeout on Sunday.

Randy Wolf gave up five runs -- all in the first three frames -- on 10 hits over seven innings of work.

"He did pitch well after the third, that's encouraging," said Brewers manager Ron Roenicke of his starter. "But now we have to keep the runs down in the beginning of the game and get our offense a chance to get a lead."

Mark Rogers has given the Brewers some leads in his handful of starts this season, but three times has been the victim of a blown save. That leaves him 0-1 with a 4.94 earned run average in four outings heading into tonight's start.

The fifth overall pick of the 2004 draft, Rogers will make the seventh start of his career tonight still in search of his first win. He was in line to get that victory on Wednesday in Colorado despite giving up five runs over six innings, but instead got a no-decision.

Rogers, a 26-year-old righty, has faced the Cubs just once before and did so in relief on Sept. 10, 2010 in what was his major league debut. He logged a scoreless inning of work.

The Cubs have dropped seven of their last 10 and were handed a 5-4 defeat by the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday. It was a walk-off win for the Reds as Chicago reliever Shawn Camp allowed a pinch-hit triple to Xavier Paul to begin the bottom of the ninth before Ryan Hanigan drilled a game-ending hit to center.

Justin Germano hopes to get Chicago back in the win column and is coming off his best outing of 2012.

Germano, acquired from the Boston Red Sox for cash considerations on July 19, hurled a season-high 6 1/3 innings on Wednesday versus the Houston Astros, getting charged with two runs on five hits and a walk while fanning six in a 7-2 win. He improved to 2-2 with a 3.19 ERA in six outings this season (4 starts), including one relief outing with the Red Sox.

The 30-year-old right-hander is 1-1 with a 4.61 ERA in three career meetings with the Brewers, including two starts. However, he hasn't faced them since a relief appearance on Sept. 30, 2007 while with the San Diego Padres.