Hardy's homer helps Brewers slip past Houston

Baseball Betting Lines

08/20/2008 - Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - J.J. Hardy homered and Prince Fielder drove in two runs as the Milwaukee Brewers defeated the Houston Astros, 5-2, in the rubber match of a three-game set at Miller Park.

Hardy finished the game 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI, while Rickie Weeks worked three walks and scored three runs to give Milwaukee its third win in five games.

Manny Parra (10-6) got his first win since July 20, going five innings and allowing two runs on six hits. The southpaw struck out two and walked four in the victory. The bullpen threw four innings of one-hit ball, culminating with Salomon Torres' 24th save of the year.

"(It was) one of those days when I had nothing, but the bullpen came in and shut them down," Parra said. "All that matters if I (pitch) five innings and have nothing (is that) the bullpen comes in and gets a win."

Wandy Rodriguez (7-6) got the loss despite a good start, going 5 1/3 innings and surrendering three runs -- two earned -- on three hits while striking out six and walking five.

Geoff Blum went 2-for-4 with an RBI, and Miguel Tejada added two hits and a run scored for Houston, which lost for the fourth time in six games.

"They were trying their best to give (the game) to us," Astros manager Cecil Cooper said. "We didn't come up with a big hit when we needed one, particularly in the eighth inning."

Milwaukee got off to a quick start. Weeks walked to start the home first and Hardy reached on an infield single. Gabe Kapler, who was replacing Ryan Braun in the lineup Tuesday, lined a double down the left field line, driving in Weeks. Fielder followed with a sacrifice fly for an early 2-0 lead.

Weeks walked again to start the third, stole second and advanced to third on a passed ball. Kapler walked two batters later to put runners on the corners with one out, and Fielder hit his second sacrifice fly of the day, scoring Weeks for a 3-0 advantage.

Houston got on the board in the fourth. Tejada hit a one-out infield single and Lance Berkman doubled him over to third. Blum and Reggie Abercrombie each hit RBI singles later in the inning, pulling the Astros within one.

The Astros almost tied the game in the fifth on Blum's two-out single with runners on first and second, but Kapler gunned down Mark Loretta at the plate, preserving the one-run lead.

Hardy gave the Brewers some insurance runs in the seventh, hitting his 19th homer of the season -- a two-run shot -- off Doug Brocail.

In the eighth, Eric Gagne was able to stymie Houston's attempt to get back in the game. Tejada led off with a bunt single and Berkman was hit by a pitch. Blum followed with a grounder to Fielder, who could not handle it cleanly, loading the bases with nobody out.

Hunter Pence killed the rally, however, grounding into a 1-2-3 double play and David Newhan ended the inning with a ground out to first.

"It sure was a big spot. It turned things around a little bit," Gagne said. "All year long, we've been saying we are ready for the next step, and now we know it."

Game Notes

The Brewers won the season series 8-7...Braun was out of the lineup with tightness in his lower back...Houston's Felipe Paulino was diagnosed with bursitis in his throwing shoulder. No timetable has been announced for his return...The Astros claimed infielder Jose Castillo on outright waivers from the San Francisco Giants. He is expected to report to the team Friday.