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Mariners-Brewers Preview

Jun 26, 2010 - 5:41 AM By MATT BECKER STATS Senior Writer

Seattle (30-42) at Milwaukee (32-40), 4:10 p.m. EDT

The Milwaukee Brewers knew they were going to have to make a run in the weeks leading up to the All-Star break to improve their playoff chances.

They appear to be doing just that.

The Brewers look to extend their season-high winning streak to six games Saturday when they continue their series against the Seattle Mariners at Miller Park.

Milwaukee (33-40) opened a stretch of 16 of 20 games at home by sweeping a three-game series from AL Central-leading Minnesota this week, then beating the Mariners 8-3 in Friday's series opener. The Brewers have won five in a row overall, picking up 2 1/2 games in the standings to move within 7 1/2 of NL Central-leading St. Louis.

"It's been good for everyone," Friday's winning pitcher Dave Bush told the Brewers' official website. "Overall, we've played a lot better lately. ... We've just been playing better baseball all around. We've hit better, we've pitched better, we've played better defense.

"It lightens the mood all the way around inside here. Guys are more excited about being here, because we're playing better. We're playing closer to our potential."

Rookie catcher Jonathan Lucroy's first career homer - a three-run shot - was the big hit Friday for Milwaukee, which hasn't won six straight games since reeling off seven in a row May 12-19, 2009.

"It is something I've been thinking about since I was 12," said Lucroy, batting .316 with 18 hits in 15 big-league games.

Lucroy will likely be back behind the plate Saturday to catch Randy Wolf (5-6, 4.79 ERA).

After being pounded for a season-worst eight runs in 4 2-3 innings of a 9-4 loss to the Chicago Cubs on June 9, Wolf has recorded a 1.93 ERA in his last two starts. The left-hander gave up one run and three hits in seven innings at Colorado on Sunday, but didn't get the decision in Milwaukee's 6-1 victory.

Wolf has lost his only two career starts against the Mariners, both of which came in 2008.

Seattle (30-43) has lost two straight following a season-high six-game winning streak.

Pitching had been carrying the Mariners prior to Friday's loss, yielding six runs over the previous seven games. Freshly activated from the 15-day disabled list, Doug Fister (3-3, 2.45) will take the ball Saturday looking to help the staff bounce back.

Fister, who had led the AL in ERA until Wednesday when he no longer had pitched enough innings to qualify, went on the DL following his start against Minnesota on May 31 with right shoulder fatigue.

In a rehabilitation outing for Triple-A Tacoma on Sunday, the right-hander allowed two runs in four innings.

This will be Fister's first interleague start.