On the verge of taking two of three from the rival Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Thursday, Milwaukee (84-69) blew a four-run lead with two outs in the ninth inning and lost 7-6 in 12. The loss dropped the Brewers to 4-13 in September and 1 1/2 games behind the New York Mets in NL wild-card race with nine to play.

After this set, the Brewers close the season at home with three games each versus Pittsburgh and the Cubs.

"You're running out of games," interim manager Dale Sveum said. "It gets to the point, whatever the Mets do, you start thinking you have to win seven out of nine or eight out of nine. That's what it's getting to."

After retiring the first two batters in the ninth, Milwaukee closer Salomon Torres allowed a double and two singles before Chicago's Geovany Soto hit a three-run homer to tie the game at 6. After squandering a chance with runners on second and third with no outs in the top of 12th, Carlos Villanueva gave up a game-winning single to Derrek Lee with two outs in the bottom of inning for the Brewers' sixth loss in seven contests.

"This is our toughest loss of the year, by far," left fielder Ryan Braun told the Brewers' official Web site.

Ray Durham, J.J. Hardy and Corey Hart each had two hits and an RBI for Milwaukee, which now faces Cincinnati (70-82), a club it's 7-8 against this season and dropped two of three to last week at Miller Park.

Prince Fielder doubled with an RBI to extend his hitting streak to nine games, in which he is hitting .455 (15-for-33) with four homers and 11 RBIs. Fielder, though, is batting .189 against the Reds this season.

After being forced to use Friday's originally scheduled starter Seth McClung for two innings of relief on Thursday, the Brewers turn to Jeff Suppan (10-9, 4.85 ERA) to pitch on normal rest.

Suppan allowed six runs and eight hits in 3 2-3 innings of a 6-1 loss at Philadelphia on Sunday to fall to 0-2 with an 8.79 ERA in three starts since winning five consecutive decisions.

"My goal is to stay in the game as long as I can and help the team win," Suppan said. "Obviously, I didn't come close to doing that."

The right-hander is 4-2 with a 5.30 ERA in 15 starts versus the Reds, and 1-0 with a 3.46 ERA in four outings versus them this season. He allowed four runs in 5 1-3 innings of a 5-4, 11-inning loss to Cincinnati on Sept. 9.

That contest was the most recent for Cincinnati rookie right-hander Ramon Ramirez (0-0, 2.25), who allowed one run and one hit while walking four and striking out four in six innings of his second career start.

"I really wanted Ramon to get his first victory. He threw lights-out," manager Dusty Baker told the Reds' official Web site. "He wants the ball. He loves to pitch."

The Reds lost 5-4 to St. Louis on Thursday, snapping their four-game winning streak. Joey Votto, who is batting .357 (5-for-14) with a homer and five RBIs versus Suppan, had two doubles for Cincinnati.