Lee homers, Cubs win again since banning Bradley

[September 23, 2009]  MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Derrek Lee hit his 35th homer and drove in two runs to set a new career mark with 109 RBIs, leading the Chicago Cubs to a 7-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night.

The Cubs won their third straight since suspending Milton Bradley for the season and Lee has continued his sizzling September. He's hitting .408 for the month and is 6 of 8 in this series with two home runs and six RBIs.

Lee has 10 homers in his last 20 games and leads the majors with 24 since July 1.

Brewers slugger Prince Fielder led off the second with his 41st home run to extend his franchise-best RBI mark to 129, but Milwaukee didn't give Cubs starter Randy Wells (11-9) any other trouble over six solid innings.

With one out in the ninth, Cubs center fielder Tyler Colvin made a leaping catch that saved what would've been a three-run homer by Ryan Braun.

Braun got credit for a sacrifice fly instead, but was left with his hands on his head in disbelief.

Chicago will go for the sweep on Wednesday, but can be eliminated from the NL Central race with a loss and a victory by St. Louis over Houston.

For the second straight night, the Cubs' first four batters reached to start the game.

Ryan Theriot walked, Kosuke Fukudome singled, Lee doubled in a run and Ramirez drove in two more with a single to give Chicago a 3-0 lead off Brewers starter Dave Bush (5-8).

And just like the night before, the Cubs kept tacking on runs in the second.

After Bush walked Colvin to lead off the inning and Wells moved him over on a sacrifice bunt, Theriot walked again and Fukudome hit a ground-rule double to make it 4-0.

Bush allowed both runners to score on a wild pitch over the head of Lee. Theriot came home on the offering to the backstop and catcher Jason Kendall's throw skipped past Bush at the plate.

With no one backing the play up, Fukudome alertly scored as the ball came to rest halfway between the pitcher's mound and the plate to put the Cubs ahead 6-0.

Bush walked Lee and was pulled for Chris Smith after 1 1-3 innings, the second shortest start of his career.

The Cubs are clicking since Bradley's banishment.

The volatile outfielder signed a $30 million, three-year deal before the season to boost Lee and Ramirez, but Bradley struggled and was suspended Sunday after criticizing the organization in a newspaper interview.

The Cubs have scored at least six runs per game since Bradley's departure after reaching that mark only once in a 3-6 stretch over the previous nine.

NOTES: Lee had 46 HRs and 107 RBIs in 2005. ... Cubs RHP Angel Guzman (triceps) will not pitch again this season. ... Brewers LHP Manny Parra (neck spasms) will start Friday. Parra missed his last two scheduled starts, but is replacing RHP Yovani Gallardo (workload) in the rotation.

[Associated Press; By COLIN FLY]

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