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Brewers, Cubs open three-game set

Apr 29, 2008 - 1:04 PM Milwaukee (14-11) at Chicago Cubs (16-9) 8:05 pm EDT

CHICAGO (Ticker) - The Milwaukee Brewers will begin a three-game series Tuesday, hosting the Central Division-leading Chicago Cubs.

Both clubs are coming off narrow defeats and have lost three of their previous four contests.

The Brewers suffered a 3-2 extra-inning loss to the Florida Marlins on Sunday, while the Cubs were blanked by the Washington Nationals, 2-0.

Milwaukee turn to ace Ben Sheets (3-0, 0.96 ERA), trying to close the two-game gap in the division race.

Sheets, who has not started since injuring his triceps on April 18, was off to a great start prior to the setback and will be after his fourth straight win. The 29-year-old righthander did not allow a run in three of his four starts this season.

Before leaving with the injury in his previous outing, Sheets yielded just two hits while striking out four over five innings during a 5-2 triumph over the Cincinnati Reds.

Chicago will counter with Jason Marquis (1-0, 3.47), who surrendered two runs and eight hits over seven frames in Thursday's 4-2 loss to the Colorado Rockies.