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Brewers have a blast in downing Astros

Apr 23, 2011 - 4:48 AM Milwaukee, WI (Sports Network) - Ryan Braun and Carlos Gomez each hit a three- run home run as Milwaukee outlasted Houston, 14-7, to open a three-game set.

Casey McGehee, Mark Kotsay and Yuniesky Betancourt each drove in two runs while Prince Fielder scored three times for the Brewers, who have won three of four. Braun belted the go-ahead homer in the third, one day after signing a five-year, $105 million contract extension.

"That's why we signed him to the contract, he's a big-time player," said Milwaukee manager Ron Roenicke about Braun.

Yovani Gallardo (2-1) gave up four runs on eight hits with a walk and seven strikeouts to get the win. He also hit a solo home run in the game.

"I think he still has trouble with his command," said Roenicke. "I don't know if he's trying to hit corners too much. He's used to being able to do it when he wants to."

Hunter Pence drove in two while Michael Bourn and Brett Wallace each went 3- for-5 with an RBI and a run scored for the Astros, who have dropped their past two.

Nelson Figueroa (0-3) was tagged for six runs on six hits with five walks and two strikeouts over four-plus innings.

"My command was definitely off," said Figueroa. "When I was working the ball over the outside of the plate it was getting out of my hand and they weren't swinging at those pitches. They're a very aggressive team and made me throw a lot of pitches early and when they hit them, they hit them hard."

In Milwaukee's portion of the second inning, Houston manager Brad Mills and pitching coach Brad Arnsberg were both ejected for arguing.

That inning also saw the Brewers take a 1-0 lead on Jonathan Lucroy's groundout fielder's choice that plated Fielder.

An RBI single from Bourn was followed by a sacrifice fly from Angel Sanchez in the third to give Houston a one-run lead, but Braun's three-run homer over the left-center wall in the bottom of the frame gave Milwaukee a 4-2 lead. The hit scored Rickie Weeks, who walked, and Gomez, who bunted for hit.

The fourth saw Houston get one back on an RBI single from Humberto Quintero that scored Wallace, but Gallardo got it back in the bottom of the frame with a solo shot to left-center.

Pence hit into a fielder's choice that scored Bourn in the fifth, but a two- run single by Betancourt in the home half of the frame made it a 7-4 contest.

With the bases loaded in the sixth, McGehee hit a two-run double and Kotsay followed with a two-run single to give the Brewers an 11-4 advantage.

The Astros got two back in the seventh on a run-scoring double from Carlos Lee and an RBI single off the bat of Wallace, but Gomez's three-run home run in the seventh made it a 14-6 contest.

Pence's RBI single in the eighth accounted for the final score.

Game Notes

Gallardo's home run was the ninth of his career, which is a Milwaukee record for pitchers...Weeks left the game with a sprained left pinky finger...Houston won eight of the 15 meetings with Milwaukee last season...Both teams left nine men on base as Houston batted 6-for-13 with runners in scoring position and Milwaukee was 7-for-15.