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Brewers-Marlins Preview

Jun 2, 2009 - 5:03 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Milwaukee (30-20) at Florida (23-28), 7:10 p.m. EDT

The Milwaukee Brewers have played well on the road this season. That's just not the case right now.

The NL Central-leading Brewers look to avoid extending their season-high road losing streak to five games Tuesday night against the Florida Marlins.

Coming off a three-game sweep of Cincinnati to conclude a 4-2 homestand, Milwaukee (30-21) lost 7-4 at Florida on Monday.

Though the Brewers are 14-12 away from home - one year after going 41-40 for their first winning road mark since 1999 - they have lost four in a row and five of six away from Miller Park.

On Monday, Milwaukee held a two-run lead when Florida (24-28) scored five times in the sixth inning en route to its fourth straight home win over the Brewers.

"It happens sometimes on the major league level, it really does," Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez said of the big inning. "I'm glad we were on the end of scoring runs."

Hanley Ramirez had three hits with an RBI and Jorge Cantu drove in two runs for the Marlins, who have alternated wins and losses over their last six contests.

Ramirez is 8 for 14 in his last three games, raising his batting average to .337. The All-Star shortstop is 8 for 16 against Milwaukee this season and 3 for 5 with two doubles against the Brewers' Manny Parra, who looks to avoid a third straight loss after winning three in a row.

Parra (3-6, 5.57 ERA), who has the worst record and highest ERA of any Milwaukee starter, allowed three runs and seven hits while walking five in 6 2-3 innings of a 3-2 loss to St. Louis on Wednesday. It was an improvement after he gave up eight earned runs over 3 1-3 innings in an 11-3 loss at Minnesota on May 22.

"I felt like I threw the ball well. It was better than it has been," Parra told the Brewers' official Web site.

The left-hander is 1-0 with a 3.97 ERA in two starts against Florida. He earned that victory after allowing three runs and striking out eight in a 6-3 win over the Marlins on May 12.

Casey McGehee and Jason Kendall each had two hits and an RBI on Monday for Milwaukee. J.J. Hardy also had two hits and is batting .302 (13 for 43) in his last 11 games. He is 6 for 15 (.400) against Florida in 2009.

The Brewers could be without center fielder Mike Cameron after he left Monday's game with a left knee irritation.

Florida, meanwhile, is expected to activate Anibal Sanchez (1-4, 5.79) from the disabled list to make his first start since leaving a 4-2 loss against Atlanta on May 7 with shoulder pain.

The right-hander, who underwent rotator cuff surgery in 2007, suffered from a shoulder sprain this time. Sanchez has a 7.89 ERA while losing his last four starts and likely will be limited to 75-80 pitches in this contest.

"We can't ask any more from him," Gonzalez told the Marlins' official Web site. "He's done everything we've asked him to with his rehab stuff. I think that he'll give us a good opportunity to win."

Sanchez is 2-0 with a 2.84 ERA in three starts against Milwaukee, but hasn't faced the Brewers since 2007.