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Lee, Cubs too strong for Brewers

Jul 29, 2008 - 4:37 AM By Dave Cotey PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

MILWAUKEE (Ticker) -- The race in the National League Central is on, and Derrek Lee and the Chicago Cubs remain the frontrunners.

In the opener of a four-game series between the league's two best teams, the Cubs defeated the Milwaukee Brewers, 6-4, at Miller Park on Monday to extend their lead to two games in the division.

Lee knocked in three runs, including a run in the top of the ninth that snapped a 4-4 tie and gave the Cubs just their fifth win in 12 games.

"The way we've been playing, we just needed to win," Lee said. "It was nice it was on the road. It was a playoff atmosphere. It was really loud and fun."

In the ninth against Brewers closer Salomon Torres (5-3), Alfonso Soriano and Mike Fontenot walked with one out before Lee delivered an RBI double to right field. Mark DeRosa added an infield RBI hit later in the frame.

Lee's hit made a winner of reliever Chad Gaudin (2-1), who struck out the side with a walk in the bottom of the eighth.

"Every game we play is big, but playing the Brewers in a race brings everyone together," Gaudin said. "Every pitch, everyone is into it. You don't want to take your eyes away for a play."

Carlos Marmol struck out a pair in a scoreless ninth for his fifth save.

Russell Branyan's second pinch-hit home run of the season tied the score at 4-4 for the Brewers, who lost for the third time in four games.

The Cubs scored a pair of runs in the seventh to take a 4-3 lead. With one out and the bases loaded, Brewers starter CC Sabathia got the ground ball he needed to get out of the inning when Lee tapped a two-hopper to shortstop J.J. Hardy, who flipped to Rickie Weeks at second base for the force.

But Weeks' throw went into the Brewers' dugout and allowed pinch-hitter Kosuke Fukudome to score from second.

"What happens in games like this, there's so much energy and you've got two pretty good matched teams playing in front of a crowd like that - it's fun," Brewers manager Ned Yost said. "But the team that makes the least amount of mistakes is probably going to win. ... It's a double play that has to be made."

In the bottom of the sixth, Hardy and Ryan Braun hit back-to-back home runs and Corey Hart added an RBI double off Cubs starter Ted Lilly to give the Brewers a 3-2 advantage.

"It really was a great game, and it's not fun to come out on the losing end," Braun said. "We just need to regroup. That loss isn't any more significant than any other the rest of the season."

Sabathia, who had pitched complete games in his previous three outings, lasted 6 2/3 innings this time. He allowed nine hits and four runs - three earned - walked two and struck out three, his lowest total since April 16.

"They took a lot of pitches and made me work," Sabathia said. "I didn't really have my 'out' pitch - my cutter - I was kind of leaving it up, out and away. I just tried to do the best I could and battle and make the pitches I needed to."

Sabathia was attempting to become the first Brewers pitcher to throw four complete games since Cal Eldred in 1994.

"He's a horse, there's not question about that," Cubs manager Lou Pinella said of Sabathia. "You can see the confidence they have in him. They left him in to face the meat of the order (in the seventh)."

Soriano, who entered the game batting .320 (8-for-25) with three home runs in his career against the Brewers' lefthander, had two hits - including his 17th home run - off Sabathia.

"We came into (the game) with a lot of energy because that's a team we have to beat," Soriano said. "They are close to us."

Before getting hit hard in the sixth, Lilly cruised through the first five innings, allowing just two singles. He finished with seven hits allowed, one walk and four strikeouts over six innings.

"I just made mistakes to good hitters," Lilly said. "I'd like to have (the sixth inning) over again. I felt I was in good position to give us seven, eight innings."