Cubs Slide By Brewers 1-0
CHICAGO (AP) Darwin Barney scored on a fielder's choice in the eighth inning for the game's lone run as the Cubs topped the Brewers 1-0 on Monday night.
Aramis Ramirez grounded to Brewers shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt with one out, but the throw to catcher Jonathan Lucroy wasn't in time to tag Barney, who dived over home plate for the score.
Cubs reliever Jeff Samardzija (4-2) worked one inning for the win, while Carlos Marmol picked up a save in the opener of a four-game series. Brewers reliever Kameron Loe (2-6) also pitched one inning and took the loss.
Cubs starter Ryan Dempster had a no-decision in his 500th career game. He worked seven scoreless innings, gave up four hits while striking out seven and walking just one.
Randy Wolf was nearly as effective for the Brewers. He allowed six hits in seven scoreless innings, struck out seven and walked none.
Milwaukee had an early chance to score in the fourth inning. With Casey McGehee on first, Corey Hart send a drive to deep center in the fourth that on another day would have been a two-run homer. But increasingly stiff breezes from the North and Northeast helped keep the ball in the park.
In the bottom of inning, the Cubs started to tag Wolf as Ramirez and Lou Montanez both sent deep flies to left that were caught.
Leading off the fifth, Betancourt took a 1-2 pitch from Dempster and doubled off the left-field wall. He advanced to third on catcher Wil Nieves' bunt but was caught in a rundown between third and home after an unsuccessful bunt attempt by Wolf.
Wolf then doubled down the right-field line on the next pitch, but was stranded when Rickie Weeks ended the inning with a grounder to first.
The Cubs had runners on first and second with one out in seventh, but left both stranded.
The 34-year-old Dempster remained unbeaten in his last nine starts against Milwaukee. He's 7-0 dating to July 2009.
Notes: The Cubs placed right-handed reliever Kerry Wood on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to June 9. Wood, 1-3 with a 2.25 ERA in 24 relief appearances, has had a lingering blister on his right index finger. He last pitched on June 8 in Cincinnati. The Cubs also activated infielder Jeff Baker from the 15-day disabled list. ... Milwaukee sent RHP Takashi Saito to Class A Wisconsin for a rehabilitation assignment Sunday. ... Paul McCartney announced Monday that he'll play a July 31 concert at Wrigley Field, one of three baseball parks on a summer U.S. tour. He'll also play at Detroit's Comerica Park on July 24 and Cincinnati's Great American Ball Park on Aug. 4 ... Third-base umpire Ed Rapuano left early with what was described as a non-medical emergency.
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