• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Brewers hope to win consecutive games vs. Cubs

Sep 18, 2008 - 10:21 AM Milwaukee (84-68) at Chi Cubs (91-59) 2:10 p.m. EDT

CHICAGO (Ticker) -- The Milwaukee Brewers are nearing desperation time, and the Chicago Cubs are primed to strike.

The Brewers will be attempting to win back-to-back games for the first time this month when they face the Cubs on Thursday.

Milwaukee held a 5 1/2-game lead in the National League wild-card race on September 1, but currently trails the New York Mets (84-67) by one-half game after dropping 12 of 16 games this month. A 6-2 win over the Cubs on Wednesday snapped a five-game slide.

The win came at a price, as All-Star Game starter Ben Sheets was forced to leave after two innings with right elbow pain.

Chicago's magic number to clinch the NL Central is four.

Rich Harden (5-1, 1.65 ERA) will attempt to further the Brewers' misery. The righthander had his first start of September skipped due to shoulder pain but returned last Thursday and allowed two runs in six innings to earn a win at St. Louis.

In his last four starts, Harden has posted a 1.20 ERA while limiting opponents to .137 average and notching 31 strikeouts in 30 innings.

Dave Bush (9-10, 4.24) will counter for Milwaukee on three days' rest. The righthander was pushed up by interim manager Dale Sveum when Manny Parra was demoted to the bullpen.

Bush is 4-1 with a 3.23 ERA over his last eight starts, but is 0-4 with a 6.61 ERA in six career starts on three days' rest.