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Brewers-Nationals Preview

Apr 16, 2010 - 12:42 AM By BRETT HUSTON STATS Writer

Milwaukee (3-5) at Washington (3-5), 7:05 p.m. EDT

No one questioned the Milwaukee Brewers for handing the ball to Yovani Gallardo on opening day, or the Washington Nationals for trusting John Lannan.

Right now, neither looks like he belongs at the top of a rotation.

The two struggling young starters look to pull their respective teams back to .500 Friday night as the Nationals kick off a 10-game homestand with the first of three against the Brewers.

Gallardo (0-2, 6.75 ERA) bounced back from an injury-shortened 2008 to show flashes of brilliance in 2009, when he finished second in the NL with 9.9 strikeouts per nine innings.

He allowed four runs over seven innings in a loss to Colorado on opening day, and three days later signed a five-year extension worth $30.1 million. He hardly lived up to that in his next start, allowing six runs over five innings - half of the damage coming on Yadier Molina's three-run homer - in a 7-1 loss to St. Louis on Saturday.

"I didn't feel any extra pressure," Gallardo said. "I mean, I felt pretty good out there. I had all my pitches and was throwing them for strikes. Just that one pitch turns the whole ballgame around."

While the Brewers (4-5) expect better things from Gallardo, the Nationals have the same hope that Lannan (1-1, 8.31) can reverse his rocky start following his solid 2009. He allowed five runs over 3 2-3 innings in an opening-day loss to Philadelphia, then yielded three runs over five erratic innings Saturday despite beating the Mets 4-3.

Gallardo will make his first road start in 2010 after going 5-6 with a 4.38 ERA away from home last season. He was 8-6 with a 3.14 ERA at Miller Park.

The right-hander was solid at home and on the road against the Nationals (4-5), going 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA and striking out 19 in two starts.

Lannan faced the Brewers once last season at home, where he delivered the shortest start of his career. The left-hander lasted just 1 2-3 innings Aug. 22, yielding seven runs in an 11-9 loss.

With that start removed, Lannan is 7-6 with a 2.35 ERA in his last 22 home outings..

Washington earned a split of its six-game road trip Thursday thanks to an exciting rally in Philadelphia. Trailing 4-1 in the seventh inning, the Nationals got a homer from Adam Dunn and a pinch-hit, two-run shot from Ryan Zimmerman to ignite a six-run comeback in a 7-5 win.

"It was just good to get in the game and be a part of it," said Zimmerman, who didn't start for a fourth straight game with a left hamstring injury. "It's never fun to just sit and not be able to help. To help win a game here is a great feeling."

The Brewers dropped their first two games at Wrigley Field this week, blowing a three-run lead in the eighth inning of a 7-6 loss on Wednesday. Milwaukee kept putting runs on the board throughout in Thursday's finale, as Ryan Braun had four hits - including his third homer in four games - to spark an 8-6 victory.

"Whenever you go somewhere and the crowd is into it, it helps my intensity," Braun, a .343 hitter on the road in 2009, told the Brewers' official Web site. "They're on all of us, but I love it, man. It makes it that much more enjoyable to win."

While Braun has a team-high 11 RBIs, Prince Fielder has just three, but also has a good chance to catch up quickly. Fielder is hitting .367 with four homers in 14 career games in Washington.