CHICAGO -- Following back-to-back series with teams very much in the postseason hunt the Chicago Cubs now play three against teams far off the pace.While mathematically alive, the Milwaukee Brewers, Colorado Rockies and San Diego Padres are all playing sub-.500 baseball and trail leaders in their respective divisions by 10 1/2 games or more.The Cubs (73-43) swept a pair from the Los Angeles Angels last week and then split a four-game series with division rival St. Louis to maintain a 12-game lead in the National League Central.The Brewers and Cubs open a four-game series with Tuesdays day-night doubleheader at Wrigley Field. One game is a makeup from an April 27 rainout. Milwaukee (52-64) is fourth in the NL Central, 21 games behind Chicago.The Brewers bring in one of baseballs hottest bats in Ryan Braun, batting .381 with 26 runs, nine homers, 21 RBI and 14 walks since the All-Star Break.Hes really locked in and producing, for sure, said Brewers manager Craig Counsell. We were worried a little about what would happen after losing the hitter (Jonathan Lucroy) behind him but hes responded really well and hes certainly been swinging the bat great.The Cubs counter with a pitcher making his first start of the season in Tuesdays opener and a short-handed bullpen exposed in last weekends Cardinals series.Right-hander Trevor Cahill gets a spot start in Tuesdays 12:20 p.m. game against Brewers righty and ex-Cub Matt Garza (4-4, 4.83 ERA). Chicagos Jason Hammel (12-5, 2.90 ERA) carries a five-start winning streak into Game 2 against Milwaukees Chase Anderson (7-10, 4.93 ERA) at 7:05 p.m.Cahill will come off the disabled list and serve as 26th man for Tuesdays doubleheader. He has been sidelined since July 9 with patellar tendinitis in his right knee but made six recent starts with Triple-A Iowa, going 0-3 with a 4.58 ERA.He is 1/3 with a 3.07 ERA in 33 appearances with the Cubs this season.Bullpen weakness was a contributing factor in Cubs losses on Saturday and Sunday.Reliever Hector Rondon returned on Sunday after being out 12 days with a sore triceps. He gave up a go-ahead three-run homer to Stephen Piscotty in the eighth inning.His stuff wasnt as crisp as normal., Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. The fastball velocity wasnt up there. He obviously did not throw the ball where he wanted to.Pedro Strop is out four to six weeks after undergoing arthroscopic surgery last week for a left meniscus tear.Not having Stroppy -- we just have to figure this out, Maddon said. We have to restructure this somehow.Chicago also had another pitching scare on Sunday night when starter John Lackey departed in the seventh inning with shoulder stiffness.But Lackey said after the game that he was fine. He figures to start again later this week at Colorado.Im OK, he said after Sundays game. (An) extra bullpen session was probably not the best for me. I feel a little tight since then. Nothing crazy. Trust me. Ive been out there feeling a lot worse. Ill be all right. Joe Montana Jersey . "It doesnt get any better than that," Giambi said. "Im speechless." The Indians are roaring toward October. Giambi belted a two-run, pinch-hit homer with two outs in the ninth inning to give Cleveland a shocking 5-4 win over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night, keeping the Indians up with the lead pack in the AL wild-card race. Daniel Sorensen Jersey . 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NEW YORK -- Alex Rodriguezs tempestuous relationship with New York Yankees fans comes to an end Friday when he plays his last game in pinstripes and he is making his exit without much of the adulation lavished on some hometown stars.Despite 351 home runs for the Bombers, and just four short of 700 for a career, his big-money contracts and off-field antics made him a less-than-beloved character for some, even before his suspension for drug use.I cant say I feel bad for him, said John Wilmore of Huntington Station, New York. Hes made millions and millions of dollars, Hes going to be very rich for the rest of his life, but theres something compelling there. You know, why did you mess up so much? Why did you do the things you did? You probably didnt need to do it to be great.A 14-time All-Star, A-Rod trails only Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755) and Babe Ruth (714) on the career home run list, and his tenure with the Yankees was as substantial and productive as some of the teams most beloved players. He led the team to a World Series championship. He batted in more runs as a Yankee than Jorge Posada, Paul ONeill, Tino Martinez or Roger Maris, all of whom have plaques in Yankee Stadiums Monument Park.But this superstar will equally be remembered by New Yorkers for his denials-admissions-denials and a season-long suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs, as well as frequent appearances in the tabloids involving late-night poker games, his divorce, and reputed interludes with Madonna, movie stars and a stripper.He did this to himself, said New York City firefighter Jonathan Bush. 100 percent. He could have probably avoided this if he played the right way, or even semi-the right way; everybody knows athletes do certain things. It is what it is.Steve Rosenstock of Springfield, New Jersey, said Yankees fans always viewed A-Rod as the opposite of beloved shortstop Derek Jeter, who was treated to a season-long victory tour when he retired after the 2014 season.Most people see right through him. Hes fake, disingenuous, Rosenstock said. When A-Rods talking, you cant trust anything he says. Hes a `me guy, but he pretends to be otherwise.David Chauvin, vice president and partner in the Zimmerman/Edelson public relations agency in Great Neck, New York, said it appears Rodriguez made genuine attempts since he returned from his suspension last year to make amends with fans, but said he never completely connected with them.ddddddddddddPeople as a whole want to forgive, theyre willing to forgive, but they have to have an appreciation theres true contrition, he said. I dont think people ultimately have gotten that from A-Rod.He said A-Rods highly publicized big money contracts never sat well with fans, even in an era where many stars sign multi-million-dollar deals.New Yorkers have always had a blue-collar sensibility about their stars, he said. Thurman Munson, Don Mattingly, even back to Lou Gehrig, they all had an affinity from the working class, blue collar New Yorkers. A-Rod comes in and starts hanging around with Madonna. He was never able to make that connection.Rodriguez is still admired in Manhattans Washington Heights neighborhood, where he was born.The walls of the El Nuevo Carnidad Restaurant are decorated with photos of Rodriguez from the two times he visited to provide food for kids in the neighborhood.The restaurants manager, Johnny Crus, said Rodriguez should have been permitted to finish out the season, rather than being released by the Yankees this week.It was disrespectful, he said. The PEDs dont change his impact. He is a grand athlete independent of the mistakes he made. People expected more of him because of how much he got paid.Owner Miguel Montas said a player like Rodriguez comes around every 100 years.He is one of the best players and that creates controversy because he is so focused on the game that he falls short in the social relations. In the game of baseball he has never been a loser, he was always a winner.Wilson Tavaras of the Dominican Republic was wearing a No. 13 jersey while waiting in line at a Yankee Stadium concession stand Sunday after it was announced that Friday would be Rodriguezs last game.What can I say about him? he said. Hes done a lot for us. But its time for him to go.---Eltman reported from Garden City, New York. AP Baseball Writer Ben Walker contributed to this report.Follow Eltman on Twitter at (at)feltman41 ' ' '