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Estrada hits grand slam in nine-run sixth as Brewers beat Astros

Jun 27, 2007 - 4:31 AM MILWAUKEE (Ticker) -- Johnny Estrada helped lift the Milwaukee Brewers to their 11th win in their last 13 contests.

Estrada blasted a grand slam to cap a nine-run sixth inning which was aided by a costly error as the Brewers came from behind to trump the Houston Astros, 11-5, on Tuesday.

Estrada sent Astros' reliever Rick White's 0-2 offering over the right field wall for his first career grand slam as the Brewers took an 11-4 advantage in the sixth.

"I think he was probably trying to throw me a high fastball and get me to chase," said Estrada, who swung at White's first two pitches, both in the dirt. "I just don't think he threw it high enough. With two strikes, I'm just trying to shorten up my stroke and hit the ball. I don't ever hit home runs when I'm trying to hit home runs, they're always by accident."

Houston starter Wandy Rodriguez (4-7) carried a 4-2 lead into the frame before walking the first two batters he faced and allowing a bloop single to Kevin Mench to load the bases. Rickie Weeks followed with a single to right that skipped over Luke Scott's glove and rolled to the wall, clearing the bases and giving the Milwaukee a 5-4 lead.

"It's a fast outfield," Scott said. "I was getting set up for a throw and flat-out missed it. It just skipped past my glove. No excuse."

Tony Graffanino's fourth career pinch-hit home run on the first pitch from White added insurance - all before the Astros had recorded an out.

"I saw it pretty good and when I first hit it, I was just glad it was going to be a sac fly," Graffanino said. "You go through the bumps, and we stayed the course and we stayed positive. Nobody was panicking and good things have happened."

After Ryan Braun's double put runners on second and third, White issued an intentional pass to Prince Fielder which set the stage for Estrada to hit the fifth bases-clearing blast this season for the Brewers.

It was the largest single-inning output for the Brewers in 2007, surpassing the seven scored May 1 against the St. Louis Cardinals.

"We're definitely struggling keeping the game close," Astros manager Phil Garner said. "Obviously, that's hard on us."

After slugging just two home runs in June prior to his shot Monday, Carlos Lee blasted a two-run shot in the sixth that gave the Astros a temporary 4-2 lead. Lee, who hit 60 home runs during his nearly two-year stint with the Brewers prior to being traded last July, clubbed an offering from starter Claudio Vargas to deep left-center.

Vargas was lifted shortly thereafter for Matt Wise (2-1), who worked out of two-on, none-out jam to keep Milwaukee close.

"It's just cool to watch the offense explode like that," Wise said. "It was an exciting game."

Though Vargas has gone six innings just twice in his last six outings, Milwaukee has won all but one of those games. The Brewers are 13-3 during games in which Vargas appears, and the team has gone 11-2 overall since being no-hit by the Detroit Tigers righthander Justin Verlander on June 12.

"We don't ever feel we're out of a game, especially with just a two-run deficit," Estrada said. "Claudio kept us in the game."

Craig Biggio singled in the third inning against Vargas off the glove of a diving Braun, marking career hit No. 2,997. The second baseman is not expected to play Wednesday and will resume his quest for 3,000 hits when the team opens an 11-game homestand in Houston beginning Thursday.

"It's nice, but once again, it's a disappointing loss," Biggio said. "It just takes time (getting to 3,000). There's not a magic button you can press to get those last three hits."

Braun homered in the first to give Milwaukee a 2-0 lead, but the Astros answered with back-to-back homers from Scott and Brad Ausmus in the top of the second. It was the first time Houston had hit back-to-back home runs in 2007.

Scott added another solo home run in the ninth for second career multi-homer game.