Article:The Brew Haus - Suppan, Kendall Key Brewers Win

Many people picked the Chicago Cubs to win the World Series for the first time in 100 years. But if the first two games of the season are any indicator, the Milwaukee Brewers might just have something to say about that.

Jeff Suppan pitched 6 1/3 innings and allowed only two runs, both off solo home runs by Derrek Lee and Geovany Soto, as the Brewers rolled to an 8-2 victory over the Cubs.



The game was turned in the Brewers' favor from the first pitch of the game, which Rickie Weeks relocated from inside Wrigley Field to Sheffield Avenue. From there, Jason Kendall and the rest of the Crew's offense went to work. Kendall went 3-for-4 and drove in two runs, while performing the little things he was picked up for to perfection like stealing a base and finishing off a strike 'em out, throw 'em out double play.

Ryan Braun also had three hits in the game and drove in a run of his own.

In a matter of two games, I've jumped off the Eric Gagne bandwagon (if there was one) and onto the Jason Kendall bandwagon. I don't want to give him all the credit for the way the Brewers' pitchers have looked in the first two games, but I want to see Johnny Estrada throw out base runners and block balls in the dirt as well as Kendall or steal a friggin' base -- without a five second headstart.

David Riske again looked terrific in relief, striking out three in two innings, while Salomon Torres got himself out of a jam by striking out Alfonso Soriano on what could be seen as the "door slamming" moment of the game.

Miscellaneous Notes: *The Brewers have started 2-0 for the last five seasons. *Weeks' leadoff home run was the seventh of his career. It was the second time he's done it against Lilly and the Cubs. *With questions about defense coming into the season, the Brewers have committed zero errors thus far.