"You play 162 games, regardless of how good or how bad we've done here in the last week," said veteran infielder Jeff Cirillo, who was ejected in the finale of an 0-7 road trip. "There are still people who are going to pay to come watch us play, and we have to be professional about winning baseball games. We haven't played very well."
But they have played well at Miller Park, going 39-26 there this season. Only the first-place Mets (43), Dodgers (42) and Cardinals (40) have more home wins among National League clubs.
Chris Capuano will start the opener of a nine-game Brewers homestand against Marlins right-hander Anibal Sanchez in a rematch of Sunday's game at Dolphin Stadium. Neither starter got a decision in an eventual 4-3 Marlins win that capped a four-game sweep.
The Brewers' tough trip left the team 10 games under .500. They need to go 19-9 in September to avoid their 13th losing season in 14 years, and history says that's going to be tremendously difficult. They have not won that many games in one month in 14 years, since the 1992 team went 20-7 in September and won 11 of 12 games in one stretch.
Pitching matchup
MIL: LHP Chris Capuano (11-8, 3.53)
Capuano allowed just two hits with nine strikeouts over six scoreless innings at Florida on Sunday, but surrendered back-to-back solo homers in the seventh. The no-decision was Capuano's third in his past four appearances.
FLA: RHP Anibal Sanchez (5-2, 3.41)
Sanchez has not surrendered more than two earned runs in five straight starts.
Player to watch
Brewers manager Ned Yost hoped to give slumping first baseman Prince Fielder two full days off before the start of the homestand, but Fielder was called to duty Thursday after Cirillo was ejected in the first inning. Fielder hit an RBI single that snapped an 0-for-17 drought and later belted a solo home run, his 24th. "He got back a little more to being himself tonight," Yost said. "He wasn't over-swinging. He had a nice, quick stroke, good hands."