Brewers 6, Cubs 3

MILWAUKEE (AP) – Chris Capuano pitched effectively into the seventh inning, and Bill Hall and Ben Grieve Homered to help the Milwaukee Brewers snap a four-game losing streak with a 6-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs.

The Brewers beat Cubs ace Kerry Wood for just their second win in 10 games.

Capuano (5-5) allowed only one runner past first – Michael Barrett’s homer in the second – until Derrek Lee doubled in the seventh and Aramis Ramirez followed with an RBI single.

Mike Adams relieved and got Barrett to hit into an inning-ending double play.

Capuano won for the first time in his last three home starts and beat the Cubs for the second time this season. He gave up two runs and four hits in 6 1-3 innings, striking out five and walking two.

Dan Kold pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for 30th save in 31 opportunities.

Wood (5-4), making his fourth start since being activated from the disabled list on July 11, allowed season highs of five runs and seven hits in six innings, but struck out 10 and walked only two. In his previous three starts, he was 2-0 with 19 strikeouts in 17 innings.

Scott Podsednik walked to lead off the game and scored on Geoff Jenkins’ sacrifice fly.

Barrett tied it in the second with his 12th homer, but Milwaukee went right back ahead 2-1 in the bottom of the inning.

Grieve led off with a double and scored on Capuano’s two-out double. His hit helped Milwaukee improve to 4-for-62 with runners in scoring position over its last nine games.

Hall’s two-run homer made it 4-1 and marked the first time since opening day (April 5) at Cincinnati, that Wood surrendered four runs.

Wood put the leadoff batter on for the fourth time when Podesdnik singled and stole second to start the fifth. But Wood worked out of the jam by picking off Podsednik at second and striking out Craig Counsell before Jenkins doubled. Russell Branyan then struck out to end the inning.

Grieve hit a solo shot off Wood in the sixth.

Kent Mercker’s wild pitch with the bases loaded in the seventh gave the Brewers their sixth run.

Todd Walker had a sacrifice fly in the eighth to make it 6-3.

Notes: Wood struckout Chad Moeller in the second, giving him 1,139 strikeouts, good for fifth place on the Cubs’ all-time strikeout list. He surpassed Hippo Vaughn (1913-1921) who had 1,138 strikeouts in 270 starts. Wood did it in 153. … Brewers 3B Branyan, acquired from Cleveland on Monday, made his second consecutive start for slumping Wes Helms. … Brewers INF Keith Ginter was not in the starting lineup for the fourth straight game with a strained left wrist. He is day to day.

AP-ES-07-28-04 2248EDT