Brewers rely on Lohse versus Cubs
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Veteran righty Kyle Lohse makes his third attempt at a 10th victory of the season on Friday night at Wrigley Field, when the Milwaukee Brewers visit the Chicago Cubs for game one of a three-game series.
Lohse improved to 9-8 with a 6-3 defeat of his most recent former team - the St. Louis Cardinals - on Aug. 20 in Milwaukee.
He allowed three runs on six hits in six innings of that game while walking two and striking out four.
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He was shelled for 13 hits in 5 1/3 innings of a no-decision at Pittsburgh seven days later, then gave up a single run in six innings of another no- decision, against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, on Sept. 1.
Lohse is 5-4 in 18 career meetings with the Cubs and held them scoreless in five hits over six innings when he last faced them on July 29 in Chicago.
He's opposed by 26-year-old lefty Chris Rusin, who gets a fifth crack at a third victory of his second season in the majors.
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The youngster was 2-1 after a 3-0 defeat of the Cardinals on Aug. 9 in St. Louis, where he tossed six innings of scoreless seven-hit ball.
He lost two straight decisions - against Cincinnati and Washington - in his next two starts, then got no-decisions at San Diego and home with Washington on Aug. 25 and Aug. 31.
In one career meeting with the Brewers, he dropped a decision after allowing just one run in five innings and striking out four batters.
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On Wednesday in Milwaukee, Khris Davis hit a two-run homer and the Brewers knocked out Francisco Liriano early en route to a 9-3 victory in the finale of a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Aramis Ramirez and Jeff Bianchi each knocked in two runs during the Brewers' 13-hit attack and Wily Peralta (9-14) allowed three runs on nine hits over six quality innings to collect the win and snap the club's five-game slide.
In Chicago, Donnie Murphy hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh inning, one of four Cubs home runs in a 9-7 win over the Miami Marlins.
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Starlin Castro, Dioner Navarro and Ryan Sweeney added solo homers as Chicago avoided being swept in three games by the only team in the National League with a worse record. Navarro had three RBI and scored twice.
The Brewers entered the weekend with a slim 126-121 lead in the all-time series with the Cubs and have won eight of 12 this season. Last time they played, Milwaukee won three of four at Wrigley Field in late July.