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Brewers-Reds Preview

Jul 15, 2009 - 6:08 PM By MATT BECKER STATS Senior Writer

Milwaukee (45-43) at Cincinnati (42-45), 7:10 p.m. EDT

The Milwaukee Brewers were hoping to establish themselves as one of the top teams in the league during a tough stretch leading up to the All-Star Game. Instead, they stumbled into the break.

The Brewers now hope to regain some ground with a potentially easy stretch of games, beginning Thursday night with a four-game series against the Cincinnati Reds.

With four games against the Chicago Cubs and three-game sets versus St. Louis and the Los Angeles Dodgers immediately before the All-Star break, Milwaukee (45-53) had aimed to build momentum for the second half of the season. The Brewers were percentage points ahead of the Cardinals atop the NL Central prior to the Cubs series, but went just 3-7 during the stretch to fall 2 1/2 games back of St. Louis.

"You just look forward," All-Star Ryan Braun told the Brewers' official Web site following Sunday's 6-4 loss to the Dodgers. "You can't look back at this point. It does no good. I look forward to the second half. We're in the race, obviously. So I'm excited about having an opportunity to compete to get back to the playoffs."

Milwaukee should be able to turn things around with a favorable schedule over the next two weeks.

After the Cincinnati series, the Brewers play Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Washington and San Diego. Those opponents own five of the seven worst records in the NL.

Milwaukee has had little trouble beating the Reds (42-45) lately, outscoring Cincinnati 46-21 in winning five of the last six meetings with its pair of All-Star sluggers leading the offense.

Prince Fielder, who won Monday's Home Run Derby, is 10 for 20 with three home runs, two doubles, 10 RBIs and nine runs scored in his last six games versus Cincinnati, while Braun is 10 for 25 (.400) with two homers, two doubles, seven RBIs and seven runs in those same contests.

Similarly to the Brewers, the All-Star break may have come at a good time for the Reds.

Cincinnati was just two games out of first place July 4, but lost six of its next eight to fall five games behind the Cardinals. The Reds rallied from a 7-0 deficit against the New York Mets on Sunday, but could not complete the comeback and lost 9-7.

"We have to get better in the second half at picking up runners and not only coming back, but coming all the way back and getting over the top," manager Dusty Baker told the Reds' official Web site. "We didn't get a bunch of breaks in the first half. We have a whole bunch of breaks coming to us."

To open the second half, Baker gives the ball to Homer Bailey (1-0, 5.16 ERA).

Bailey allowed two runs and seven hits with a career-high six strikeouts in six innings of last Wednesday's 3-2 loss to Philadelphia, not factoring in the decision. Since being called up from the minors June 27, the right-hander is 1-0 with a 3.44 ERA in three starts.

Bailey made two starts against the Brewers last season, going 0-1 with a 6.55 ERA.

Milwaukee counters with Braden Looper (7-4, 4.94), who gave up five runs and five hits - including a career-high four home runs - in six innings of a 12-8, 10-inning loss to the Dodgers on Friday.

The right-hander is 3-3 with a 6.06 ERA in seven road starts, including a 6-5 loss at Cincinnati on May 7 in which he yielded five runs and eight hits in a season-low 3 1-3 innings. Looper has won two home starts against the Reds this season.