Chicago @ Milwaukee preview
American Family Field
Last Meeting ( Jun 16, 2011 ) Milwaukee 7, Chi. Cubs 12
THE STORY: The Milwaukee Brewers haven't exactly dominated the bottom teams in the National League Central, and they'll need to change that this week if they want to break away from the logjam at the top of the division. The Brewers will open a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday at Miller Park, the first of 18 straight games against division opponents.
TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, WGN, Fox Sports Wisconsin
PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs RH Ryan Dempster (7-7, 5.00 ERA) vs. Chris Narveson (6-6, 4.45 ERA)
Dempster has struggled at times this season, but he has dominated the Brewers over the years. He is 15-3 with a 2.50 ERA in 23 starts and 22 relief appearances against Milwaukee. He threw seven scoreless innings to help the Cubs record a 1-0 home victory over the Brewers on June 13, though he didn't factor in the decision. Dempster won his first two starts of the month but was knocked around for six runs in three innings of a 9-1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday.
Narveson has posted three straight quality starts, including one Wednesday at Arizona, where he threw seven scoreless innings but didn't get the decision in a 5-2 Brewers' win. Narveson is 2-0 against the Cubs this season. He shut them out for seven innings on April 9 and won despite allowing four runs in 5 1/3 innings on June 15. He is 5-0 with a 3.38 ERA in four starts and seven relief appearances against Chicago in his career.
ABOUT THE CUBS (42-60): The Cubs have won three straight for the first time all season after sweeping the Houston Astros over the weekend at Wrigley Field. Marlon Byrd has raised his batting average 18 points over the past 14 games, hitting .377 (20-for-53) with seven extra-base hits. Byrd had his first four-hit game of the season and scored the winning run in the 10th inning of Sunday's 5-4 win.
ABOUT THE BREWERS (54-49): The Brewers are beginning a stretch of 18 consecutive games against division opponents, starting with three-game sets at home against the Cubs and Astros — the teams with the two worst records in the National League. The Brewers are 20-17 against the division this season, but only 3-4 against the Cubs and 3-3 against the Astros. Milwaukee has the second-best home record in the majors at 33-14. Only Philadelphia (37-15) has been better at home.
FINAL PITCH: Brewers slugger Prince Fielder has hit the Cubs hard this year, going 8-for-21 (.381) with two homers and eight RBIs in seven games against them.