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Sheets carries Brewers past Astros

Jun 26, 2007 - 5:31 AM MILWAUKEE (Ticker) -- On the day the team signed 2007 first-round draft pick Matt LaPorta, the Milwaukee Brewers "home grown" flavor gave the new guy something to aim for.

Led by six innings from starter Ben Sheets (1st round, 1999) and RBI from J.J. Hardy (2nd, 2001), Corey Hart (11th round, 2000), Ryan Braun (1st, 2005) and Prince Fielder (1st, 2002), Milwaukee produced a 6-1 victory over the Houston Astros on Monday.

Sheets (9-3) yielded one run and five hits with five strikeouts and three walks en route to recording his fifth straight winning decision. The righthander has been stellar against Houston, allowing just three runs in 13 frames to pick up two wins this season.

"It wasn't a good first inning, but it was good enough," said Sheets, who threw 27 pitches in the first. "I felt like when I got in the zone I made some pretty good pitches. I don't really care if it wasn't pretty. The home run was the only damage."

Sheets has won each of his last five decisions, dating back to May 29, putting up All-Star numbers despite a dip in his historically outstanding strikeout tallies.

"When you don't strike people out, you're not dominant in the eyes of everybody," Sheets said. "Pitching well, I don't think it matters (if I'm dominant), if I don't give up runs and don't give up baserunners. Strikeouts don't get you wins, but they can get you out of big moments."

Hardy, playing for the first time in four games after nursing back tightness, homered in the first inning to spot Milwaukee an early lead and Fielder's league-leading 27th home run - a 434-foot blast to center - gave the Brewers insurance in the eighth.

"Carlos (Lee) helped me a lot when he was here, hitting lefthanders," Fielder said. "He would always yell at me if they brought (a lefthander) in and they walk him, he would say I better get a hit."

After surging unexpectedly to 15 home runs in the season's first two months, Hardy hit his 18th homer of the season against Houston starter Jason Jennings (1-2). Hart's RBI single scored Craig Counsell in the third preceded by Braun's run-scoring double for a 3-0 edge.

Lee delivered his 13th homer of the year and first against Milwaukee since being traded by the Brewers last July, putting the Astros on the board in the sixth. It was the only run surrendered by Sheets (9-3).

Milwaukee relievers Carlos Villanueva, Derrick Turnbow and Chris Spurling held Houston scoreless the rest of the way.

Craig Biggio, who entered the series four hits shy of 3,000 in his career, did not play and was expected to see his only action of the series Tuesday.

LaPorta, the seventh overall selection in the 2007 draft, took batting practice with the team before the game and was in attendance with his parents for the victory. The University of Florida product was a two-time Southeast Conference Player of the Year. Nine players on the current roster were originally drafted by Milwaukee.

Jennings allowed three runs and five hits in seven inning in his first career setback against Milwaukee. He fanned five and issues four free passes

"(Jennings) got stretched out a little bit and went deep in the game," Astros manager Phil Garner said. "It was much needed for us, but it's one of those things where we wish we could win the ballgame for him. We need him to step up and be a big No. 2 for us and he pitched like it."

"He was hitting his spots pretty well and definitely wasn't giving in," Braun said. "He just made a couple mistakes and we were able to take advantage of them."