Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Maddux making history

SUN WIRE REPORTS

Greg Maddux stands one victory away from joining one of baseball's most exclusive groups -- the 21 men with 300 pitching victories:

Cy Young...511

Walter Johnson...417

Grover Alexander...373

Christy Mathewson...373

Jim Galvin...365

Warren Spahn...363

Kid Nichols...361

Tim Keefe...342

Steve Carlton...329

John Clarkson...328

Eddie Plank...326

Nolan Ryan...324

Don Sutton...324

Roger Clemens*...321

Phil Niekro...318

Gaylord Perry...314

Tom Seaver...311

Charley Radbourn...309

Mickey Welch...307

Lefty Grove...300

Early Wynn...300

* -- active

MILWAUKEE -- Greg Maddux earned his 299th career victory by allowing one run during six innings in the Chicago Cubs' 7-1 victory Tuesday night against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Maddux, a Las Vegas native who won four consecutive National League Cy Young Awards from 1992-95, needs one victory to become the 22nd pitcher in baseball history with 300 wins.

He's next scheduled to pitch Sunday against Philadelphia at Wrigley Field.

"It's not about me," Maddux said after the game. "It's about us doing what we can to get into the postseason. Let's just stay focused on what we have to do as a team. The last thing that I want to be is just any kind of distraction.

"I really believe that two or three years from now if I win 300 games, I'd be the only one happy, but if we get to the postseason, people would be happy for 10 years.

"Eventually, I'm going to get it (300 wins), but the main goal is to play in October."

Chicago (54-46) is in second place in the NL Central Division, 10 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals.

Before the game, Cubs manager Dusty Baker mentioned the lack of hoopla surrounding Maddux's rather quiet quest.

"It's been one of the quietest approaching 300s that I've ever seen," Baker said. "I know when Roger (Clemens) was approaching 300 last year in New York, that was like every day it was big headlines."

Baker said he's glad Maddux, who spent the best years of his career in Atlanta, will get the chance to win his 300th at Wrigley with the team that gave him his start in baseball.

"That would be great, to hopefully win 300 where he started," Baker said.

Maddux might be downplaying it, but his teammates aren't. Todd Walker said it will be one of his own career highlights.

"You think about that stuff. It's something you will always remember. I was on the field when (Paul) Molitor hit his 3,000th hit," Walker said. "I still remember it like it was yesterday."

Maddux allowed four hits, with six strikeouts and one walk, to improve his record for the season to 10-7.

Russell Branyan got the Brewers' only run off Maddux at Miller Park in Milwaukee, hitting a home run to right-center field in the sixth inning. Branyan joined the Brewers on Monday from the Cleveland Indians in exchange for an undisclosed amount of cash.

Maddux, 38, is the only pitcher in major league history to win at least 15 games in 16 consecutive seasons and is looking to extend that streak this season. He also won 13 consecutive Gold Glove awards from 1990-2002.

Maddux played for the Cubs from 1986-92 and returned to Chicago this season after anchoring the Atlanta Braves' pitching staff for 11 years. He has a 299-170 record with a 2.93 earned run average.

Maddux allowed two singles and a walk to load the bases with two outs in the first inning, then got Brady Clark to strike out looking and end the threat. Maddux allowed only two baserunners until Branyan's homer, as Craig Counsell reached on catcher's interference in the third inning and Chad Moeller singled in the fifth.

Jon Leicester, Kent Mercker and Kyle Farnsworth combined to pitch three innings of scoreless relief for Chicago.

The Cubs gave Maddux a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Todd Walker doubled to lead off the game and scored on a double by Sammy Sosa. Moises Alou and Derrek Lee then singled to score Sosa and cap a four-hit inning.

Walker and Sosa increased the lead to 4-0 in the third inning with solo home runs off Milwaukee starter Ben Sheets (9-8). Sheets allowed seven hits during seven innings, with eight strikeouts and no walks.

Milwaukee (48-51) has lost four consecutive games and fell to last place in the division.

The Brewers extended their slump with runners in scoring position to 3-for-58 over their last eight games, including seven losses. They were 0-for-3 Tuesday night.

"For me, an offensive slump is kind of like the flu," Milwaukee manager Ned Yost said. "It's miserable while you're going through it, but sooner or later you get over it."

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