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Astros-Brewers Preview

Jun 30, 2010 - 5:40 AM By MATT BECKER STATS Senior Writer

Houston (30-47) at Milwaukee (34-42), 2:10 p.m. EDT

After a slow start to the season at home, Prince Fielder has finally found his swing at Miller Park.

Not surprisingly, the Brewers are suddenly playing much better in Milwaukee.

Fielder looks to help the Brewers wrap up a nine-game homestand with a seventh victory when they face the Houston Astros on Wednesday.

The NL leader with 23 homers and 70 RBIs at home last season, Fielder had three home runs and six RBIs in his first 27 games at Miller Park this year, with Milwaukee (35-42) winning just 10 of those contests. Fielder has since managed to put his slow start behind him, hitting seven homers while driving in 11 in his last 11 home games to lead the Brewers to seven victories.

The two-time All-Star first baseman had two of Milwaukee's four homers in Tuesday's 7-5 victory over the Astros, the Brewers' seventh win in nine games overall and sixth out of eight on their homestand.

Fielder, who has four home runs during the homestand, has hit 10 of his 17 overall homers in June and is one behind the league leaders - teammate Corey Hart and Arizona's Mark Reynolds.

"Everybody always says that he always gets off to a slow start," manager Ken Macha said. "Here we are in June. He's warming up, and doing what he did tonight and actually this whole homestand ... will be a big boost for us."

Fielder hasn't had much luck against probable Houston starter Wandy Rodriguez (4-10, 5.64 ERA), going 5 for 24 with a double and six strikeouts.

Hart and Ryan Braun have fared much better. Hart, hitting .350 with 18 RBIs during a 14-game hitting streak, is batting .407 lifetime against Rodriguez, while Braun is 6 for 16 with three homers.

Rodriguez allowed two runs and four hits while hitting three batters in six innings of Thursday's 7-5 win over San Francisco, bouncing back after recording a 10.20 ERA in his previous three outings - all losses. The left-hander hasn't won back-to-back starts all season.

This will be Rodriguez's first start against the Brewers since being tagged for 10 runs in four innings of an 11-2 loss Aug. 14. He is 1-4 with an 8.54 ERA in his last five starts at Miller Park.

The Brewers, 8-3 at home against the Astros since the start of last season, counter with Dave Bush (3-5, 4.54).

The right-hander has yielded three earned runs over 13 1-3 innings to win his last two starts after going 0-5 with a 6.20 ERA in his previous nine. Working on nine days' rest against Seattle on Friday, Bush allowed three runs - two earned - and seven hits in six innings of an 8-3 victory. He'll now try to win three consecutive starts for the first time in his seven-year career.

Bush has yielded two runs or fewer in four of his last five starts against the Astros. In his lone start against Houston this season, Bush allowed two runs in five innings of a 4-3, 10-inning home win May 27.

The Astros (30-48) have lost three of four, and are 3-8 in their last 11 road games.