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Tuesday, May 9 8:05pm ET
D'Amico's return happy as Brewers edge Cubs 4-3 | |||||
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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
CHICAGO (AP) -- After waiting more than two years for this day, Jeff D'Amico's stomach was jumping when he arrived at Wrigley Field on Tuesday. "After all the stuff I've gone through, I was just happy to be back," said D'Amico, whose career has been marred by a series of injuries. "The first and second innings I wasn't able to throw my breaking ball for strikes, and I got out of my rhythm. But as the game went on, I began to figure it out." He didn't allow any earned runs, and Henry Blanco made sure D'Amico's first start was a successful one with a game-winning sacrifice fly in the eighth inning as the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Chicago Cubs 4-3. "This guy's gone through a lot of adversity the last couple of years," Milwaukee manager Davey Lopes said. "We're just glad to have him back out there." Jeromy Burnitz also homered for the third straight day for the Brewers. With the score tied at 3 in the eighth, Glenallen Hill fielded Blanco's shot to left perfectly. But his throw was too short, dropping at the edge of the infield grass and allowing Kevin Barker to score. Barker had reached third on a wild pitch by reliever Mark Guthrie. Guthrie (2-3) gave up one run in 1 1/3 innings. The Cubs blew a chance to take the lead in the seventh when Guthrie was called out at the plate. With two outs and the game tied at 3, third-base coach Gene Glynn sent Guthrie on Ricky Gutierrez's single to right, even though Mark Grace was on deck. "I was hoping something would happen on this kind of night and we could hold them for six, but it was a bad decision," Glynn said. "I (screwed) up. I have no one to blame but myself." D'Amico, who missed most of the last two seasons because of injuries, couldn't have been much better in his first start since Sept. 27, 1997. He gave up three unearned runs and four hits in seven innings. David Weathers pitched the ninth for his first save. "I've thrown good games here in the past, and that made me more comfortable," said D'Amico, who is now 2-0 against the Cubs. The Cubs got all of their runs in the third. Damon Buford scored when Jose Hernandez tried to catch Ricky Gutierrez's chopper down the third-base line backhanded and the ball bounced off his glove instead. After a walk to Grace, Sammy Sosa hit what he thought was a homer -- he even gave an abbreviated hop -- but the ball dropped into the left-field corner for the two-run double and the 3-1 lead. The Cubs got good stuff out of their starting pitcher, but it didn't last long enough. Ismael Valdes, making his second start of the season for the Cubs, had to be pulled in the top of the sixth after feeling tightness in his hamstring when he was running to second on a sacrifice in the fifth. Valdes struck out eight and gave up three runs on three hits, including Burnitz's solo homer in the fourth inning. It was Burnitz's ninth home run of the season. "Nothing I can do about it," Valdes said. "It happens." Game notesAfter going 25 games without a homer, Burnitz now has four in three days. ... Henry Rodriguez left the game in the top of the fourth inning after fouling a ball off his left big toe. He's listed as day to day. ... To make room for D'Amico on the roster, the Brewers outrighted RHP Everett Stull to Triple-A Indianapolis. ... Eric Young went 0-for-3 with a walk and a sacrifice, snapping his six-game hitting streak. | ALSO SEE Baseball Scoreboard Milwaukee Clubhouse Chicago Cubs Clubhouse RECAPS Chi. White Sox 6 Boston 0
Milwaukee 4
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