Milwaukee @ Chicago preview
Wrigley Field
Last Meeting ( Aug 2, 2010 ) Milwaukee 18, Chi. Cubs 1
The Milwaukee Brewers have quite clearly regained their offensive form.
The Brewers will be looking to put another beating on the lowly Chicago Cubs when the teams meet on Tuesday in the middle of a three-game set.
After managing just two runs total while being swept by the Houston Astros over the weekend and eight runs during their five-game losing streak, Milwaukee busted out in a big way in Monday’s series opener against the Cubs. The Brewers pounded out 26 hits en route to an 18-1 drubbing.
Corey Hart, who had signed a three-year, $26.5 million extension with the team earlier in the day, immediately went about earning his money with four hits and three runs scored. Ryan Braun went 5-for-7 with three runs scored and two RBIs and Prince Fielder added five RBIs along with his five hits. Casey McGehee, Rickie Weeks and Alcides Escobar had multiple RBIs as well.
Lost in the offensive fireworks was the performance of ace Yovani Gallardo, who bounced back from his worst start of the season by allowing one run on two hits while striking out 12 in six innings.
The big win came against a Cubs team that looks like it has already packed it in for the season.
Manager Lou Piniella announced his impending retirement last month and all of the former stars are slogging their way through sub-par seasons. Even the young relief pitchers, who all should be fighting for jobs at this point, seemed to have no interest, with Justin Berg, Casy Coleman and Brian Schlitter combining to permit the final 11 runs over five innings.
Chicago has now lost six straight to fall behind the Houston Astros into fifth place in the NL Central. Luckily the Pittsburgh Pirates seem intent on losing out the season, too, or the Cubs could have a date with the division basement.
Looking to continue Chicago’s misery on Tuesday will be Milwaukee left-hander Chris Narveson. The 28-year-old has been knocked around a bit lately, allowing 23 earned runs in 25 1/3 innings over his last five starts. Part of the problem has been his tendency to give up home runs, as Narveson has allowed seven blasts in that span.
A reliever at the beginning of the season, Narveson’s last relief appearance came on April 24 against the Cubs, when he yielded three runs on three hits in two innings.
Chicago will be looking to inject a little life into its team by giving right-hander Thomas Diamond his major league debut. Once a highly-touted prospect and the first-round draft pick of the Texas Rangers in 2004, the 27-year-old Diamond saw his star dim due to repeated elbow troubles in the minors.
Signed by the Cubs as a minor league free agent in 2009, Diamond was 5-4 with a 3.16 ERA in 21 starts for the Triple-A Iowa Cubs, striking out 104 batters in 108 1/3 innings.