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Bush, Hart help Brewers topple Reds

Aug 6, 2008 - 3:14 AM By Douglas Tifft PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

CINCINNATI (Ticker) -- The Milwaukee Brewers came into Tuesday night's game against the Cincinnati Reds having lost eight of their last 11 games, in large part because of an overall 10-for-100 slump with runners in scoring position.

The Brewers cured their problems of hitting in the clutch and recorded an 8-1 triumph over the Reds at Great American Ballpark.

Corey Hart, who had three RBI, cashed in on the first opportunity for a Brewer with runners in scoring position when he followed a Ryan Braun double and intentional walk to Prince Fielder with a two-run triple to center in the first inning.

Three innings later, Mike Cameron singled to left field with one out and later scored on a RBI double by Jason Kendall, who had two RBI.

Brewers manager Ned Yost downplayed the significance of the slump.

"You just focus, put a good swing on the ball and hope that you find a hole, and we did tonight," Yost said. "You know (10 for 100), that happens, but that's not realistic. It is just a bad little stretch."

The Brewers received a strong pitching performance from righthander Dave Bush. After loading the bases and allowing an RBI single to Edwin Encarnacion in the first, Bush (6-9) retired 17 batters in a row before committing an error to allow Encarnacion to reach in the seventh.

"Baseball is the only sport where you don't want to have time of possession," first baseman Prince Fielder said of Bush in the middle innings. "So (Bush) did real well on that, and got us in the dugout quick (to keep the offense going)."

Entering the game with a 1-6 record and a 6.64 ERA in nine road starts, Bush allowed one run on three hits with seven strikeouts in seven innings before giving way to Brian Shouse and Eric Gagne.

"I was getting my fastball in the zone early with a lot of first pitch strikes," Bush said. "Anytime I can do that I can stay on the attack and expand the zone later in the counts."

Milwaukee's timely hitting came at the expense of Cincinnati righthander Edinson Volquez (13-5), who allowed five runs and nine hits in five innings. After making his first career All-Star appearance on the strength of a strong first half, Volquez has cooled in his last eight starts, compiling a 5.65 ERA with 54 hits allowed in 43 innings and a 31 to 18 strikeout to walk rate over that span.

"Edinson threw the ball well, but they centered some balls. There were some balls down the center of the plate because maybe he was tired, but he just was not locating," Reds manager Dusty Baker said.

Fielder launched a 428-foot, two-run home run to center field in the seventh - his 26th - to give the Brewers a 7-1 advantage.