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Fielder homers twice as Brewers move closer to Cubs

Sep 26, 2007 - 4:21 AM By Nick Berenz PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

MILWAUKEE (Ticker) - MVP candidate Prince Fielder hit his 49th and 50th home runs and the Milwaukee Brewers climbed a game closer to the Chicago Cubs with a 9-1 victory over the reeling St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday.

Jeff Suppan pitched eight strong innings, while Rickie Weeks and Bill Hall added home runs to send the Cardinals to their 11th consecutive road loss.

The Brewers (81-76), who trail the Chicago Cubs (83-74) by two games in the National League Central, play their remaining five games at Miller Park where they have won 10 of their last 13 games and are a NL-best 49-27.

Fielder has three home runs in the last two games and is batting .516 (16-for-31) with seven homers and 16 RBI in 10 home games this month. The slugging first baseman was called out for two curtain calls by the home crowd and was serenaded by chants of "MVP" all night.

"What more can I say about Prince," Brewers manager Ned Yost asked. "He's having a monster year and that last home run, his 50th, what a show of raw power."

In becoming the youngest player in history to reach 50 home runs, Fielder surpassed Hall of Famer Willie Mays. Mays set the mark in 1955 when he was 24 years and 137 days. Fielder is 23 years, 139 days old.

"It's just an awesome feat, now my kids will know that at one time I was pretty good," Fielder said. "For me to have a year like this on a winning team means a lot."

Suppan (11-12) improved to 3-0 and has only allowed four runs over 23 1/3 innings against his former team this season. The righthander, who allowed one run and nine hits in eight innings, has won his last three starts at Miller Park and is 8-3 with a 3.76 earned-run average at home.

"Big games are a part of the game and tonight I was focused enough to make a pitch when I needed it," Suppan said. "We're just trying to focus on what we need to do but I'd say tonight was an important game."

Milwaukee jumped on St. Louis righthander Braden Looper (12-12) early, pounding him for four runs in the first two innings. Bill Hall tacked on a three-run home run in the fifth and Fielder's second of the night gave the Brewers a 9-1 advantage.

Looper has struggled in night games in his first season as a starter. He is 7-1 with a major league-best 1.69 ERA in 10 day games, but is 5-12 with a 6.78 ERA in 20 night starts. Looper went five innings and gave up seven runs and seven hits.

"The results didn't show how hard he was pitching, he competed as well as you can compete," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. "I was really proud of him tonight."

The Cardinals' 11-game road losing streak is the longest streak for the team since May 12-29, 1978. During the losing streak they have been outscored, 79-32.

"It's really tough on our club, the guys are fighting hard but the results just aren't there," La Russa said.

Despite going 2-for-3 with a double, Albert Pujols remained stalled at 99 RBI. With one more RBI, Pujols will become the first player in major league history to reach 100 RBI in each of his first seven seasons in the league.