CHICAGO -- The Milwaukee Brewers extended Mark Prior's
rough return to the major leagues.
Gabe Gross drove in two runs and Carlos Lee added three hits and
an RBIs as the Brewers captured a 5-4 victory over the Chicago
Cubs in the finale of a four-game series.
Taking the series with three wins, Milwaukee (40-40) reached
.500 for the fourth time since May 30.
"We have to find ways to win on the road," said Brewers manager
Ned Yost, whose team improved to 15-23 away from Miller Park.
"We feel like we are a pretty decent team, it's just that our
road record doesn't reflect that."
The Brewers improved to 14-13 in June by jumping all over Prior,
who dropped to 0-3 in three starts since coming off the
disabled list with right shoulder injury.
Giving up 10 earned runs in his previous 9 1/3 innings, Prior
(0-3) continued to struggle, surrendering five runs, eight hits
and four walks in 5 2/3 innings. He did strike out a season-high
nine.
"You can see it coming for Mark," Cubs manager Dusty Baker said.
"Both he and (Derrek) Lee aren't 100 percent yet. You can see
that they are getting close."
The 25-year-old righthander failed to get much support from his
defense early on, as right fielder Jacque Jones misplayed a
single by Rickie Weeks in the first inning and left fielder Phil
Nevin took a bad route on a drive by Lee that turned into an
RBIs double.
Corey Koskie led off the second with a home run to give
Milwaukee a 2-0 lead and Damian Miller added a run-scoring
double in the fourth.
"Corey gave us a big home run to get the early cushion," Yost
said. "Carlos and Corey have both been big for us."
The Cubs, who have lost 10 of their last 11 home games, cut
their deficit to 3-2 in the fifth as Jones delivered a two-run
single with the bases loaded. However, Prior loaded the bases
in the sixth with a walk and two singles before Gross came
through as pinch hitter with a bloop single to left for a 5-2
advantage.
"My breaking ball isn't there for me yet," Prior said. "I was
able to battle in the sixth inning, striking out two hitters. I
really shouldn't have loaded the bases to begin with."
"Prior made some good pitches," Gross said. "I was up there
battling after he got the guys in front of me. I was fortunate
that my blooper fell in."
Jones singled in another run in the seventh. Lee had a chance to
bring the Cubs closer in the eighth, but struck out against
closer Derrick Turnbow to strand two runners in scoring
position.
"I know Lee is a great hitter so I tried to match his
aggressiveness," Turnbow said. "He is not the guy you want to
face in that situation. I just tried to throw strikes down and
away."
Turnbow went 1 1/3 innings to notch his 23rd save in support of
emergency starter Geremi Gonzalez (1-0).
Starting after Doug Davis was scratched with back spasms,
Gonzalez allowed two unearned runs and three hits in five
innings for his first win since August 8, when he was a member
of the Boston Red Sox.
"I'm glad that the manager sent me out there and believed in me
today," said Gonzalez, who won 11 games as a rookie with Cubs in
1997.