CHICAGO(AP) -- Ryan Dempster kept his fielders sharp by working
fast. Good thing, because the Chicago right-hander needed more
defensive help than the Cubs usually provide.

Dempster pitched eight shutout innings - thanks in great part to
big plays by center fielder Sam Fuld and third baseman Aramis
Ramirez - and the Cubs beat the Milwaukee Brewers 2-0 on Monday
night.

Fuld dove to catch Frank Catalanotto's sinking liner with a
runner on third to end the fifth inning and Ramirez made a
leaping stop of Felipe Lopez's shot with two on to finish the
eighth. Ramirez also was the pivot man on a unique 6-5-3 double
play with the Cubs playing an exaggerated pull shift against
Prince Fielder in the seventh.

"They made the plays," Brewers manager Ken Macha said. "If they
go the other way, we get some runs."

More often than not, great plays have eluded the Cubs. Expected
to contend for their third straight NL Central title, they
instead have been major disappointments. One big reason: They
rank near the top of the league with 95 errors and 50 unearned
runs allowed.

"When you work quick and throw strikes, it keeps your defense on
their toes," Dempster said. "They made some unbelievable plays
behind me."

Fuld, who jammed his thumb on his play, said afterward he wasn't
100 percent certain he caught the ball instead of trapping it.
Television replays were inconclusive.

"Off the bat, I didn't think I had a chance," said Fuld, a fan
favorite for his hustle even though he has yet to drive in a run
in 58 big-league games over parts of two seasons.

"Even when I was 10 feet away from it, I didn't think I could
get to it. I just laid out and it was enough. I take a lot of
pride in defense. I try to contribute however I can."

Derrek Lee hit his seventh homer in 10 games for the Cubs, who
improved to 9-4 in September but remain well out of the playoff
picture.

"We're just trying to have as much fun as we can down the
stretch," said Dempster (10-8), who allowed four hits, walked
one and struck out four to join John Smoltz as the only pitchers
to follow three 20-save seasons with two 10-win seasons as a
starter.

Carlos Marmol worked a hitless ninth for his 13th save in 17
opportunities.

Dempster, 11-3 all-time against the Brewers, had to be good to
outpitch Jeff Suppan (6-10), who gave up three hits and walked
four over seven innings.

Suppan's one mistake was a 2-1 breaking ball in the fourth
inning that Lee hit into the first row of the right-field
bleachers. Lee has a career .431 average and five homers in 51
at-bats against Suppan.

"He's a very good hitter and he's gotten me a number of times,"
Suppan said. "I kept it close. It was just one of those games."

The Brewers have scored two, one and zero runs in Suppan's last
three outings.

Lee has overcome a slow start to bat .332 with 30 homers and 83
RBIs in 101 games since May 16. He now has 33 home runs, his
most since 46 in 2005, and everybody associated with the Cubs
declared him the team MVP.

"I've never met a more professional guy," Dempster said. "He's
just slugging away, and he's a great leader by example."

Pinch-hitter Mike Fontenot led off the eighth with a double off
David Weathers, advanced on a sacrifice and scored on Kosuke
Fukudome's sacrifice fly.

NOTES: Macha said the team was still "evaluating" RHP Mark
DiFelice, who strained his right shoulder Sunday. ... Brewers
LHP Manny Parra is still bothered by neck spasms that drove him
from a start last week, and Macha said he's "iffy" for his
scheduled turn Friday against Houston. ... Cubs reliever Angel
Guzman, out since Wednesday with an arm injury, could return
before this four-game series ends Thursday. ... Fukudome is
batting .146 in September.