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Astros-Brewers Preview

Jun 28, 2010 - 5:36 AM By KATE HEDLIN STATS Writer

Houston (29-46) at Milwaukee (33-41), 8:10 p.m. EDT

Strong pitching of late has the Milwaukee Brewers feeling confident despite a deficit to make up in the NL Central.

The Brewers hope Manny Parra can continue the trend when he takes the mound Monday night in the opener of a three-game home series against the Houston Astros.

Milwaukee (34-41) finished interleague play 9-6, its first winning record against the AL since going 8-7 in 2007.

After sweeping first-place Minnesota, the Brewers took two of three from Seattle, including a 3-0 victory Sunday. Chris Narveson continued the team's recent strong pitching, scattering four hits over a career-best eight innings with seven strikeouts.

Milwaukee has a 2.14 ERA during a 6-1 stretch, getting quality starts four times in that span.

"The last two weeks, we've been doing our jobs and winning some ballgames," second baseman Rickie Weeks said. "Took three from the Twins and two from Seattle. We're feeling good."

Weeks has also played a key role in the surge, batting .419 with three homers and 10 RBIs in his last eight games.

The Brewers remain in third place in the Central, trailing first-place Cincinnati by 7 1/2 games and second-place St. Louis by seven. They can cut into that deficit when they visit St. Louis for a four-game set beginning Thursday.

Parra (2-5, 3.83 ERA) looks to continue his run of solid starts. The left-hander has pitched into the sixth inning in each of his last four outings and hasn't allowed more than three runs in any appearance.

He gave up two runs, seven hits and struck out six in 5 2-3 innings of a 5-3 victory over the Twins on Wednesday.

"I think I've been pitching well lately," Parra told the Brewers' official website. "I've been right around that quality-start mark all four times this month, coming up two outs short once and one out short last time. That's really my goal, is to go out there and give the team a quality start and a chance to win each time."

Parra is 4-3 with a 4.91 ERA in seven starts against the Astros (29-47) and Carlos Lee is responsible for part of that damage, going 8 for 15 with a home run against the southpaw.

Houston should be happy to be finished with interleague play after going 3-12. The Astros lost of three in Arlington against Texas over the weekend, getting outscored 17-3 in the final two games.

Roy Oswalt gave up eight runs in 4 2-3 innings of Sunday's 10-1 loss. Houston has lost seven of nine on the road, during which its starters have an 8.32 ERA while pitching five or fewer innings six times.

Bud Norris (2-5, 6.80) hopes to provide a better outing when he makes his first start since May 23, when he gave up five runs in five innings of a 10-6 loss to Tampa Bay.

Norris has been on the disabled since he received a cortisone shot after being diagnosed with biceps tendinitis. The right-hander has made it past the fifth inning in only one of his nine starts this season.

Norris is 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA in two starts against the Brewers.

Milwaukee has won 20 of 27 at home against Houston since the start of the 2007 season.