Brewers 8, White Sox 3
Brewers now 18-14 (3rd)
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CHICAGO — Down 1-0 in the third with two outs to 22-year-old All-Star lefty Britt Burns, the Brewers needed a hero. Cecil Cooper, the Crew’s most consistent offensive contributor and an early MVP favorite, stepped to the plate with the bases loaded.
Cooper promptly doubled home Jim Gantner, Paul Molitor, and Robin Yount to give the Brewers the lead. Dependable Cooper comes through again.
The White Sox would tie the game in the 8th when Ron LeFlore doubled in two runs off of Dwight Bernard, who had come in to relieve starter Moose Haas. The lead was temporary.
Cooper walked to lead off the bottom of the 8th, and would then score along with Gorman Thomas on a Don Money double to left to take the lead and knock Burns from the game. A perfectly executed squeeze bunt by Jim Gantner off of reliever Jerry Koosman would bring in the third run of the inning to make it 6-3.
The Brewers would pad their lead in the ninth when Cooper singled home Yount and a run scored on a bases loaded, Charlie Moore groundout.
Cooper would finish the day with two hits, a walk, two runs scored and four driven in. He’s now hitting a robust .354 with 21 RBI on the season. Cooper was super, and his contributions are becoming commonplace.
Moose Haas started on the mound for the Brewers, allowing three runs on eight hits in 6 2/3 innings of work. Two of those runs scored with Dwight Bernard, who relieved him in the seventh, on the mound.
It was a solid win against a young star in Burns and the now 20-12 White Sox. The Brewers go for the sweep tomorrow with Randy Lerch on the mound.
Game Notes: Don Money collected three hits, all doubles … Unsubstantiated reports that Pete Vuckovich actually hurt his ankle when a video game fell on it, not slipping on a hill … Jim Gantner and Ned Yost collected two hits apiece.