News
Brewers head back to Wrigley Field
Milwaukee (42-36) at Chicago (37-38), 7:05 p.m. CT
By Adam McCalvy / MLB.com
07/02/09 1:53 AM ET
MILWAUKEE -- The Brewers will return to Wrigley Field on Thursday for the first time since last September. This time, the circumstances are considerably more pleasant. Last time, the Brewers had just made a managerial change that stunned the players in Wrigley's cramped visitor's clubhouse. Ned Yost was let go with just 12 games left in the regular season and replaced by Dale Sveum beginning Sept. 16, when the Brewers and Cubs opened a three-game series. "Until you bring it up, I didn't even think about it," Sveum said Wednesday as the Brewers finished a nine-game homestand with a 1-0 loss to the Mets. "It might have been different if we hadn't have made it to the playoffs." Milwaukee made it to the postseason for the first time in 26 years, thanks to a surge during the regular season's final week. Sveum interviewed for the full-time managerial job, but it went to Ken Macha instead, and Sveum stayed on in a new role as hitting coach. That means both men will be in the dugout on Thursday for the start of a key four-game series between National League Central rivals. Brewer-killer Ryan Dempster (9-3 with a 2.79 ERA in 37 appearances against Milwaukee) will be on the mound for the Cubs against Seth McClung, who will make his second start since a move from the bullpen. McClung gave up three runs on six hits in four innings on Saturday against the Giants in his first start of the season. He was looking forward to the atmosphere at Wrigley Field. "I like pitching in big games," McClung said. "I've cherished the moments I've had in a Brewers uniform pitching in large games. And it's fun anytime you play in the division against a team that's good, especially against a team that everyone picked to win it." McClung has been fighting a cold, but that didn't seem to affect the Brewers' other new addition to the starting rotation. Mike Burns pitched 6 2/3 innings against the Mets on Tuesday for his first Major League win. McClung threw 77 pitches in his first start. How deep might he be able to pitch against the Cubs? "I don't know," McClung said. "I think Macha is just going to base it on how I look out there. I think he pulled me last time at 75 pitches because, No. 1, that's a pretty good number for a first start, and No. 2, I think he felt like I was finding myself in a lot of even counts -- 2-2, 3-2. I understand the point at which he pulled me." McClung has made 10 career appearances against the Cubs, including an unexpected one in that series last September in Chicago. He was slated to start in the Brewers' next series in Cincinnati, but was pulled into emergency extra-innings duty on Sept. 18 after then-closer Salomon Torres lost a four-run lead in the ninth inning. McClung struck out four batters in that game, but the Brewers went on to lose in 12 innings. Thursday will mark their first game back. "We had the one game won," Sveum said. "Two outs, nobody on and a four-run lead. That could have changed things. Fortunately, we came through in the last homestand and overcame what was probably one of the toughest losses this organization has ever endured." "Those 'lows' never seem to affect this team," McClung said. "We'll have some bad losses, and everyone, the media, will say, 'Wow, they're low,' and then we'll come out and win the first game of the next series. We're oblivious to those things as a team. When bad things come, we just wait for the next good thing to come. We try to rise above it." Pitching matchupMIL: RHP Seth McClung (3-1, 3.55 ERA)
McClung has made 10 appearances against the Cubs, all in relief. He is 1-0 with a 2.55 ERA in 17 2/3 innings. CHC: RHP Ryan Dempster (4-5, 4.09 ERA)
Dempster will be happy to be back at Wrigley Field. The right-hander lost his last outing, an Interleague game vs. the White Sox. He gave up five runs on eight hits over five innings, his second-shortest outing of the season. Dempster has not won on the road since April 12. At Wrigley, he's 3-1 with a 4.14 ERA. He has faced Milwaukee twice this year, and split the two games, winning April 12 and losing May 9. Tidbits
The Brewers' media contingent voted Prince Fielder the team's June player of the month and left-hander Mitch Stetter the team's pitcher of the month. Fielder hit .363 for the month with eight home runs and 26 RBIs, and 23 of his 37 hits went for extra-bases. Stetter didn't allow a run in 12 appearances in June and allowed only five baserunners vs. 19 strikeouts. Fielder and Stetter will be honored on the field during the Brewers' next homestand. ... Fielder is also up for Major League Baseball's Pepsi Clutch Performer of the Month Award, to be decided via fan balloting. The other nominees are Josh Beckett of the Red Sox, Andre Ethier of the Dodgers, Derrek Lee of the Cubs, Tim Lincecum of the Giants and B.J. Upton of the Rays. ... The Brewers did their due diligence on free-agent right-hander Brandon Backe, formerly of the Astros, and decided it would be best to stick with the pitchers they already have. "We talked about it and decided to pass," general manager Doug Melvin said. ... Despite dropping two of three games to the Cubs in that September series last year, the Brewers were 5-4 at Wrigley Field in 2008. ... The Brewers announced three more Draft signings on Wednesday, and they were all outfielders: Seventh-round pick Khris Davis and eighth-rounder Chad Stang were assigned to Advanced Rookie-level Helena, and 25th-round pick Demetrius McKelvie was sent to Rookie Arizona. The Brewers also signed two more undrafted free agents: University of Texas-Arlington right-hander Andrew Sauter, who was assigned to Arizona, and right-hander Andrew Dunn, who has yet to be assigned to an affiliate. The Brewers have now signed 26 of their 53 Draft picks plus four undrafted players. ... Triple-A Nashville shortstop Alcides Escobar, outfielder Brendan Katin, and reliever R.J. Swindle were named to the Pacific Coast League All-Star team, and they will play against the International League stars on July 15 at PGE Park in Portland. Tickets
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• Friday: Brewers (Jeff Suppan, 5-6, 4.86) at Cubs (Carlos Zambrano, 4-3, 3.69), 1:20 p.m. CT
• Saturday: Brewers (Braden Looper, 6-4, 4.90) at Cubs (Rich Harden, 5-4, 4.57), 12:05 p.m. CT
• Sunday: Brewers (Mike Burns, 1-1, 3.31) at Cubs (Ted Lilly, 7-6, 3.35), 1:20 p.m. CT
Adam McCalvy is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
