Narveson leads Brewers past Cubs

[August 04, 2010]  CHICAGO (AP) -- Chris Narveson pitched 5 2-3 effective innings and also singled in a run, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Cubs 4-3 Tuesday night, extending Chicago's losing streak to seven games.

Ryan Braun, who had five hits in Milwaukee's 18-1 victory the previous night, added three more singles. Prince Fielder followed his five-hit, five-RBI game with two singles and an RBI. And Casey McGehee, who drove in four runs Monday, had two more RBIs.

Thomas Diamond (0-1) struck out 10 over six innings in his major league debut but couldn't prevent the Cubs (46-61) from falling 15 games under .500 for the first time since they ended 2006 at 66-96.

That was Dusty Baker's last year as Cubs manager and this is the final season for Lou Piniella, who was back after missing three games to attend his uncle's funeral.

Chicago has been outscored 67-20 during its longest losing streak since May 2009.

The Brewers had been similarly walloped during a five-game skid that ended Monday but have gotten solid starting pitching in two games against the anemic Cubs.

Narveson (9-7) allowed one run and six hits. The left-hander walked one and struck out six, looking nothing like the battered hurler who had an 8.17 ERA in July.

Diamond, a 27-year-old righty who has spent seven seasons in the minors, became only the second Cub in 90 years of record-keeping to reach double-digit strikeouts in his debut. Mark Prior struck out 10 against Pittsburgh in 2002.

Called up to replace Carlos Silva, who went on the disabled list with a rapid heartbeat, Diamond gave up three runs on seven hits and three walks.

Each team scored in the first, Milwaukee on McGehee's single and Chicago on Derrek Lee's single. The Brewers went up 2-1 in the third, when Diamond walked the first two batters and gave up Fielder's RBI single.

Narveson escaped a jam in the Cubs' third -- getting Aramis Ramirez to pop out and fanning Marlon Byrd with two men in scoring position -- and delivered his run-scoring hit the next inning. Narveson is batting .313 with four RBIs in 32 at-bats.

McGehee's seventh-inning sacrifice fly made it 4-1. The Cubs scored in their half on pinch-hitter Kosuke Fukudome's homer off Todd Coffey.

After giving up two singles to open the Chicago eighth, Kameron Loe struck out Alfonso Soriano and Geovany Soto and got Blake DeWitt to line out.

Starlin Castro singled home a ninth-inning run off John Axford but was thrown out in a rundown after stumbling between first and second. Axford then fanned Lee to wrap up his 16th save in 17 chances.

NOTES: Cubs $91.5 million RHP Carlos Zambrano, banished to the bullpen after a June 25 dugout tirade led to a suspension and anger-management counseling, will "get some consideration" to return to the rotation, Piniella said. ... Brewers OF Carlos Gomez, hit in the head by a pitch Monday, had a CT scan and "it was fine," manager Ken Macha said. But Gomez still might have a concussion, Macha said, so the team will proceed cautiously. ... Byrd, the Chicago CF, made diving catches to rob McGehee and Alcides Escobar of hits.

[Associated Press]

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