Dempster wins 16th, Cubs hand Sabathia 1st NL loss

[September 17, 2008]  CHICAGO (AP) -- The Chicago Cubs did what no other National League team has been able to do this season. They beat CC Sabathia. Ryan Dempster got his 16th win and Chicago sent the Milwaukee Brewers to their fifth straight loss, holding on for a 5-4 win Tuesday night that spoiled interim manager Dale Sveum's debut.

Sabathia (9-1), acquired by the Brewers on July 7, had won 12 straight decisions overall, dating to a June 5 loss to Texas when he was still pitching for Cleveland. He gave up four runs and nine hits in seven innings, including Alfonso Soriano's 29th homer in the seventh.

Sveum replaced Ned Yost, who was fired Monday in a shocking move by a team that is still 15 games over .500 with 11 left. But the Brewers' late-season struggles won't go away. They lost for the 12th time in 15 games and fell one-half game behind New York for the NL wild card.

Prince Fielder hit his 31st and 32nd homers for the Brewers, a prodigious two-run shot off Dempster in the sixth that cleared the right field bleachers and a solo shot off Carlos Marmol leading off the eighth. In the ninth with two on, the Milwaukee slugger was struck out by Kerry Wood to end the game.

Henry Blanco's pinch-hit RBI single in the eighth pushed Chicago's lead to 5-3 and it turned out to be a big run.

Milwaukee's Ray Durham hit a two-out RBI double off Wood in the ninth to make it 5-4 before Ryan Braun's infield single put runners at the corners and brought up Fielder.

On a 3-2 pitch with Wrigley Field roaring, Wood got a called third strike past Fielder to get his 31st save in 38 chances.

The victory reduced the Cubs' magic number for clinching their second straight NL Central title to four.

Following two dominating performances by Cubs' starters, Dempster (16-6) allowed two runs and seven hits in six innings. He walked one and struck nine.

Carlos Zambrano pitched a no-hitter against Houston on Sunday at Milwaukee's Miller Park, and Ted Lilly had a no-hitter until the seventh on Monday before combining with three relievers on a one-hitter against the Astros.

Dempster allowed a first-inning double to Fielder and then retired 11 straight before Craig Counsell singled in the fifth. Jason Kendall followed with a single and the Brewers loaded the bases when Dempster fumbled Sabathia's sacrifice for an error.

But Mike Cameron, moved into the leadoff spot to shake up the moribund offense, then bounced into a double play to end the inning on a play that brought Sveum out for his first argument. His beef with first base umpire Joe West was apparently that first baseman Derrek Lee pulled his foot off the bag while taking the throw from third baseman Aramis Ramirez.

West ejected Milwaukee first base coach Ed Sedar before the start of the top of the sixth.

The Cubs jumped on Sabathia in the first.

Soriano doubled leading off, moved up on a grounder and scored easily when Lee's long drive to center went off Cameron's glove for another double.

Ryan Theriot and Lee had consecutive singles to start the Chicago third before Ramirez lined a two-run double into the left field corner for a 3-0 lead.

Notes: Zambrano was honored before the game for his no-hitter. Milt Pappas, who pitched the Cubs' previous no-hitter in 1972, took part in the ceremony. ... Dempster is 13-3 at Wrigley Field, the most home wins by a Cub since Fergie Jenkins won 13 in 1971. ... Sabathia walked none and struck out five while throwing 99 pitches.

[Associated Press; By RICK GANO]

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