"Francisco Rodriguez wasn't going to lie. Making the transition from closer to set-up man has been an adjustment.

"I've been a closer my whole career," he said. "The transition has not been easy at all. I'm trying to make it as easy as possible."

When the Brewers acquired Rodriguez from the New York Mets during the all-star break and then reworked his 2012 option to allow any kind of use, it was assumed by some that he might evolve into co-closer with John Axford. That was never the plan, however.

Rodriguez has been used six times by manager Ron Roenicke, each time as a set-up man for Axford, including the 2-0 victory Wednesday night over Chicago. Rodriguez has converted five holds, the lone exception coming in Arizona when he blew a 2-0 lead in a game the Brewers eventually won in extra innings.

Asked what is different between closing and doing set-up work, Rodriguez said, "Everything. Pretty much everything. There's a huge gap between the eighth and ninth innings."

Don't mistake Rodriguez's comments for grousing. He has no intention of rocking the boat, particularly with Axford doing some of the best closing work in the majors. In the 2-0 squeaker over the Cubs, he established a club record by converting his 26th consecutive save.

"He's fun to watch," said Rodriguez. "He's got a tremendous arm and an ability to throw it for strikes and elevate the ball. He's a power pitcher."