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Brewers-Dodgers Preview

May 6, 2010 - 7:10 AM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

Milwaukee (12-15) at Los Angeles (11-16), 10:10 p.m. EDT

In the first four games of their season-high road trip, the Milwaukee Brewers produced only two solo home runs.

It's been a much different story since they arrived in Los Angeles.

The Brewers will try to continue their offensive resurgence Thursday night and complete their first sweep of the Dodgers.

Milwaukee had scored at least 17 runs twice before heading into its 10-game Western trek, but was shut out in three of its four games in San Diego last week. The Brewers avoided a sweep with a 2-1 victory Saturday when Rickie Weeks and starting pitcher Yovani Gallardo each homered.

Milwaukee didn't hit a home run Wednesday night, but scored 11 runs for the second straight game. In an 11-3 victory, the Brewers (12-15) got four of those runs in the first inning and seven over the final two.

Weeks led the way with three hits and three RBIs in the win, which followed an 11-6 victory in the series opener. Milwaukee also jumped on Los Angeles early in that game with a nine-run second inning.

"We've had some good at-bats here. We've just got to keep it going," Weeks said. "We're a team that has some pretty good hitters and we're a pretty good team as a whole. And if we keep grinding, good things will happen. We're an aggressive team and we've got to be that way from time to time and try to get on the board early."

A rough second inning hurt the Dodgers' John Ely (0-1, 7.50 ERA) in his major league debut April 28 in New York. The right-hander gave up four runs in that inning during a 7-3 loss, but settled down to allow one run over his final four innings.

"It certainly is an experience the first time out. I was just trying to focus on keeping the ball down and throwing strikes," Ely said. "I actually felt pretty good. I think overall it was an OK performance."

The defeat is among the nine the Dodgers (11-16) have suffered in 13 games. The Brewers, meanwhile, have won three of four this month after dropping seven of eight.

Dave Bush (1-2, 4.60) took the loss Friday in a 3-0 defeat at San Diego, but it was an improvement from his previous outing. The right-hander was tagged for nine runs in 3 2-3 innings April 25 in a 12-2 drubbing versus the visiting Chicago Cubs.

He allowed one run over his first six innings against the Padres before giving up a two-run homer to Scott Hairston in the seventh.

"I thought Bushy pitched great," manager Ken Macha told the Brewers' website. "We went out in the seventh still with a chance to get the win."

Bush, who started the season 1-0 with a 2.41 ERA, is 1-1 with a 3.98 ERA in three career starts against the Dodgers, whom he hasn't faced since Aug. 16, 2008.

Since the Brewers moved to the NL in 1998, they have lost two one-run games with an opportunity to sweep Los Angeles.