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Sheets helps Brewers overcome loss of Braun, beat Nationals

Aug 10, 2008 - 2:56 AM By Nick Berenz PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

MILWAUKEE (Ticker) -- The last two nights were exactly what the Milwaukee Brewers envisioned when they paired CC Sabathia with Ben Sheets at the top of their rotation.

Sheets followed Sabathia's complete-game shutout with one of his own Saturday as the Brewers defeated the Washington Nationals, 6-0, for their fourth straight win.

Milwaukee (66-51) climbed within four games of the National League Central-leading Chicago Cubs (70-47), who were downed by the St. Louis Cardinals, 9-3, at Wrigley Field earlier in the day.

The only bad news for the Brewers came in the third inning, when All-Star left fielder Ryan Braun left the game with lower back tightness. He is listed as day-to-day.

"It was an awkward swing and both ribs tightened up on me and I couldn't breathe," Braun said. "I'll know a lot more tomorrow."

Ray Durham and J.J. Hardy picked up the offense, hitting back-to-back home runs and combining to score four times. Corey Hart tacked on his 17th blast to give Sheets (11-5) more than enough support.

"We got some runs for (Sheets)," Brewers manager Ned Yost said. "The complete game is so hard to come by. It was nice."

The All-Star starter struck out six and even chipped in with an RBI single in the eighth. This coming a night after Sabathia pitched a five-hit shutout for his fourth complete game since being acquired by the Brewers on July 7.

Sheets (11-5) had been struggling, going 0-3 with a 4.60 ERA in five starts since the team traded for Sabathia, the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner. But on Saturday, Sheets was locked in from the start, retiring 16 of the first 17 batters.

"Everything was a little sharper and the adjustments paid off," Sheets said. "We needed that. I'm just glad to get past that sixth inning again."

"With guys like that, you have to hope that they're off and your starting pitcher keeps you in it," Nationals manager Manny Acta said. "That's front-line pitching right there. He was just overpowering today."

The Brewers got on the board in the third, when pinch hitter Gabe Kapler - batting for the injured Braun - drove a single to right off starter Tim Redding (8-7) to plate Durham. Hart followed with a sacrifice fly to center, giving the Brewers a 2-0 lead.

Durham and Hardy launched consecutive blasts in the fourth, and Hart made it 5-0 with his fifth-inning shot to center field.

Redding came in with more career wins against the Brewers (five) than vs. any other team but was knocked out of the game after surrendering five runs, seven hits and five walks in five frames.

"He had poor command and couldn't throw anything for strikes, and this is not the type of club you want to pitch from behind against," Acta said. "That's a playoff-caliber team with lots of young, talented guys."

Ronnie Belliard recorded two of the five hits by the Nationals, who entered the series against the Brewers having won seven of their previous eight games.