--RHP Kerry Wood threw a simulated game Thursday morning, facing a pair of bullpen catchers. Wood threw 26 pitches, 16 for strikes, as he tries to keep his right arm and shoulder in shape while battling a blister on his right index finger. Wood wore a pad over the finger during the simulated game and said he may try to play catch Friday at Wrigley Field without a pad. There is no timetable set for Wood's return. He has been out since the All-Star break.
--RF Kosuke Fukudome hit his 200th professional home run. A longtime star in Japan, Fukudome has eight homers in his rookie year with the Cubs. --LHP Scott Eyre pitched for the first time since June 26, giving up three hits and three runs in one-third of an inning. Eyre was on the disabled list from June 28-July 22 with a strained left groin. Manager Lou Piniella has been hesitant to use Eyre. Neal Cotts and Sean Marshall have been getting the bulk of the time for left-handers out of the bullpen.
--CF Jim Edmonds matched his career high with five RBIs. Edmonds had a cortisone shot in his left knee earlier this week because the knee had been bothering him since just after the All-Star break. It was his first start in the four-game series at Milwaukee, and he said he'll have to play through some discomfort the rest of the season.
--1B Derrek Lee went 0-for-5, making him 4-for-19 in the four-game series.
--"Oh, I don't know about statements. We came in here knowing that Milwaukee was playing solid baseball. We came in here with a purpose in mind, to win some baseball games, and that's exactly what we did." -- Cubs manager Lou Piniella, after his team completed a four-game sweep.
BY THE NUMBERS: 7 -- The Cubs entered this week with seven "quality starts" since the All-Star break. The starters' ERA over those games was 2.10. But with the offense slumping, the Cubs' record over those games was just 3-4.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "We're just not scoring runs. Period. And if we continue to swing the bats like this the rest of the year, we ain't going to win that many, either." -- Manager Lou Piniella on his team's slumping offense.
