• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Brewers try to make it two in a row against Braves

Apr 6, 2011 - 2:57 PM (Sports Network) - Right-hander Marco Estrada tries to maintain the pitching momentum established by teammate Yovani Gallardo tonight when the Milwaukee Brewers host the Atlanta Braves in the third game of four between the teams at Miller Park.

Milwaukee picked up its first win of the season on Tuesday, as Gallardo faced just 28 hitters en route to a two-hit shutout against the Braves, winning 1-0.

It was also the first managerial victory for Ron Roenicke.

Gallardo (1-0) induced 16 ground ball outs for his third career shutout. He also scored the game's only run on Ryan Braun's base hit in the third inning.

Atlanta's Derek Lowe (1-1) was the hard-luck loser, getting charged with one run on five hits and three walks over six innings for the Braves, who never put a runner past first base.

Meanwhile, Estrada, a 27-year-old native of Sonora, Mexico, starts for just the third time in a big-league career that saw him debut with the Washington Nationals and make 15 appearances for them - one start - in 2008-09.

He came to the Brewers in 2010 and got into seven games while allowing 14 hits and 13 runs in 11 1/3 innings of work - an ugly 9.53 earned run average.

Estrada's made three respectable relief outings against the Braves, however, allowing just three hits and two runs in 3 2/3 innings for a 4.91 ERA and an opposition batting average of .200.

In 31 1/3 career innings in the majors, Estrada has walked 15 batters, struck out 32 and allowed a composite average of .276.

For Atlanta, recent first-round draft pick (seventh overall, 2009) Mike Minor opens his 2011 season after making nine late-season outings with the Braves in 2010.

The 23-year-old product of Vanderbilt University, who was recalled when Jair Jurrjens was placed on the disabled list, was 3-2 with a 5.98 ERA in 40 2/3 innings while making eight starts and striking out 43 batters in 40 2/3 innings.

He debuted with a no-decision at Houston on Aug. 9 last year, then recorded wins over Washington, the Chicago Cubs and the New York Mets to get to 3-0, before finishing 0-2 in his final five outings and seeing his ERA swell from 3.91.

Minor has never faced the Brewers.

The Braves won five of seven over the Brewers last season, including a three- game sweep at Miller Park from May 10-12.