(My Sportsbook) - The Milwaukee Brewers acquired CC Sabathia to help them reach the postseason for the first time since 1982. The free-falling club will throw their co-ace out on short rest this afternoon in the second test of a three-game series with the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park.

The Brewers, who stumbled in the second half of last season en route to missing the playoff, led the National League wild-card race by 5 1/2 games entering September. However, Milwaukee has gone just 4-14 this month and now trails the Phillies by two games for the final playoff spot with eight to play.

Milwaukee has lost seven of its last eight, including Friday's 11-2 pounding to the Reds. That setback lowered the magic number for the NL Central-leading Chicago Cubs to just one.

Mike Cameron and Corey Hart each drove in a run for the Brewers, while Ray Durham exited the game in the fourth inning due to a right hamstring injury.

Jeff Suppan, moved up a day after Friday's starter Seth McClung was used in relief on Thursday -- thus creating the need for Sabathia to go today -- was tagged for five runs in just two innings as the Brewers fell to 1-3 under interim manager Dale Sveum, who took over after Ned Yost was fired on Monday.

The Brewers' Prince Fielder did manage to increase his hitting streak to 10 games with a single in the second inning. He is batting .459 (17-for-37) with four homers and 11 RBI on the streak.

Milwaukee went all in when it nabbed Sabathia from the Cleveland Indians earlier this year for a handful of prospects, and will look to him this afternoon to play the role of stopper.

Sabathia failed in that attempt earlier in the week, as he picked up his first loss in a Brewers uniform after giving up four runs on nine hits over seven innings to the Cubs on Tuesday. The defeat dropped him to 9-1 with a 1.82 earned run average in 14 starts with Milwaukee, and halted his streak of 12 consecutive winning decisions dating back to his time in Cleveland.

The 28-year-old lefty, who is 4-0 with a 2.39 ERA in 10 career starts versus the Reds, will be pitching on three days' rest for the first time since he was a rookie in 2001.

He will face a Reds club that connected for seven homers in Friday's rout. Rookies Joey Votto and Jay Bruce each homered twice, while Jolbert Cabrera, Jerry Hairston Jr. and Andy Phillips also homered for the Reds, who have won five of their past six contests.

The Reds go with Johnny Cueto for today's start. The 22-year-old is 0-2 over his last four starts despite allowing just seven earned runs in that span. Five of those came in one outing.

He got a no-decision against Arizona on Sunday, allowing a run on four hits and six walks over five innings, and is 8-13 with a 4.68 ERA on the season.

The rookie right-hander has posted a pair of no-decisions versus the Brewers, pitching to a 2.70 ERA while striking out 13 in those two starts.

The Reds lead the season series, 9-7, but have lost four of seven to the Brewers at home.