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Giants-Brewers Preview

Jul 8, 2010 - 5:17 AM By MATT BECKER STATS Senior Writer

San Francisco (43-40) at Milwaukee (37-47), 2:10 p.m. EDT

A trip to Milwaukee appears to be just what the San Francisco Giants needed to get their season back on track.

Coming off their highest-scoring game in three years, the Giants look to sweep a four-game series from the Brewers at Miller Park in Thursday's finale.

After losing 10 of 12 to drop from 1 1/2 games out of first place to 7 1/2 back, San Francisco (44-40) has won the first three games of this series to pull within five games of NL West-leading San Diego.

The Giants beat the Brewers by identical 6-1 scores in the first two games before pounding out 18 hits in Wednesday's 15-2 victory, their highest-scoring game since a 15-2 win in Colorado on May 13, 2007. This is the first time San Francisco, which arrived in Milwaukee 12th in the NL in scoring, plated at least six runs in three consecutive games since April 14-17.

The Giants got off to a fast start Wednesday, as Andres Torres, Aubrey Huff and rookie Buster Posey all homered in the first inning. Posey added a grand slam in a seven-run fourth, and finished 4 for 4 with six RBIs.

"It's nice to know that I'm going to be in there and my role has changed a little bit," said Posey, who is 12 for 24 with four home runs and nine RBIs in six games this month. "I'm counted on a little bit more now."

The Giants, who entered this series 3-9 in their previous 12 road games, haven't swept a four-game series away from AT&T Park since June 6-9, 2008, in Washington. San Francisco swept a three-set series in Milwaukee in 2004, but has never swept a four-game series there.

Scheduled starter Barry Zito (7-4, 3.75 ERA) has never won at Miller Park, though, and is coming off a disappointing outing.

Staked to 7-1 lead through 2 1/2 innings in Colorado on Saturday, Zito quickly began to unravel. The left-hander ended up allowing six runs and eight hits in 5 1-3 innings, and left without a decision in San Francisco's 11-8 victory.

Zito hasn't won since defeating Oakland on June 12, his only victory in nine starts. He is also 0-3 with a 7.58 ERA in his last five road outings.

It could be tough for Zito to shake these struggles at Miller Park, where he's 0-3 with a 7.88 ERA in five starts since being acquired by the Giants in 2007.

The Brewers (37-48), outscored 34-5 during a four-game skid, haven't been swept in a four-game series at home since July 28-31, 2008, against the Cubs.

"It's a test of your manhood. You can shrivel up and die, or you can come out tomorrow and give it all you got. Who knows?" said third baseman Casey McGehee, who is 4 for 19 in his last five games.

Manny Parra (3-5, 4.45) takes the hill for Milwaukee after giving up a season-high five runs and eight hits - including two homers - in 5 2-3 innings of a 12-5 win in St. Louis on Saturday. The left-hander, who started the season in the bullpen, is 2-2 with a 4.87 ERA in eight starts.

This will be Parra's first start against the Giants since yielding five runs and six hits in 4 1-3 innings of a 7-1 loss on April 9, 2009.