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Correia tries to stop Brewers' mastery of Bucs

May 15, 2011 - 2:48 PM (Sports Network) - Kevin Correia goes after win No. 6 this afternoon when the Pittsburgh Pirates complete their three-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park.

Correia was an under-the-radar signing by the Pirates this offseason, but the right-hander has exceeded expectations in going 5-3 with a 3.25 earned run average. All five of his wins have come on the road, where has also pitched to a 1.56 earned run average.

The 30-year-old hurler fell to 0-3 in Pittsburgh on Tuesday against the Dodgers, as he allowed five runs (four earned) and 10 hits in 6 1/3 frames.

"I've felt great here," Correia said, speaking to the discrepancy in his home (6.50 ERA) and road (5-0 with 1.56 ERA) results. "If you give me three pitches back, I think I might be undefeated right now. I get to that one spot and I just haven't made the pitch."

One of Correia's other home losses came against the Brewers back on April 13 when he was hit for six runs (four earned) and five hits in six innings. He is 2-4 lifetime versus Milwaukee with a 5.06 ERA in 14 games (seven starts).

Still, though, Correia won just 10 games for the San Diego Padres a year ago, and a win today would bring him half way to his career-high of 12 set in 2009 with the Friars.

Milwaukee, meanwhile, will counter with former American League Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke, who was terrific in his second start of the year on Monday. Greinke held San Diego to two runs and five hits over six innings, while striking out nine without walking a batter, as he improved to 1-1 and lowered his ERA nearly four runs to 5.40.

"With the effort he put into it from the first batter on, we felt like him finishing at 89 pitches was a good outing for him," Milwaukee manager Ron Roenicke said. "I saw him a lot in the other league, and from the first batter on today, that's as hard as I've seen him go."

Greinke, of course, started the year on the disabled list after fracturing a rib shortly after the start of Spring Training.

"Hopefully, next start it will be better," Greinke said. "But it might take a couple of games to get where I can throw 110 pitches every time and be strong the whole time."

Greinke beat the Pirates the only other time he faced them, limiting them to a pair of runs in 6 1/3 innings.

Milwaukee continued its recent mastery of the Bucs on Saturday, as Prince Fielder, Brandon Boggs and Ryan Braun hit solo homers, helping power the Brewers to an 8-2 victory.

Fielder finished 2-for-4 with two RBI, while Casey McGehee hit a two-run double during a five-run seventh the Brewers used to take control. Milwaukee has now won five of seven overall and has beaten the Pirates eight straight times.

"I don't know why that is. When you keep having success against someone, it just keeps feeding off itself," Fielder said of the Brewers' 32-3 record against the Pirates at home since 2007. "Hopefully, we can win tomorrow to keep it up."

Milwaukee starter Chris Narveson (2-3) held the Pirates to one run on four hits and four walks in six innings to take the victory.

"The other games he cruised along for a while, then he's had a bad inning to set things back," said Milwaukee manager Ron Roenicke of his starter. "Three of these losses have been because of one inning. I think he's really pitched well, and I don't think his record shows how well he's done."

Pittsburgh's Jeff Karstens (2-2) took the loss after allowing two runs in five innings, though the Pirates bullpen surrendered most of the Brewers' 12 hits.

Lyle Overbay homered for Pittsburgh, which has dropped four straight overall and eight in a row at Miller Park.