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Brewers aim to show more Hart against Nationals

May 24, 2011 - 2:38 PM (Sports Network) - Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Corey Hart made the price of admission worth every penny in a series-opening win over the Washington Nationals and shoots for an encore performance tonight in the middle test of a three-game series at Miller Park.

Hart, who spent most of April on the disabled list with a rib strain, cracked his first three home runs of the season in Monday's 11-3 pounding of the Nationals and finished with seven RBI. Hart hit a two-run homer in the first inning, clubbed another two-run shot in the fifth and belted a three-run blast during a five-run eighth inning.

"Hopefully this was a turning point," said Hart, who went homerless in his first 21 games this season. "I came out today feeling pretty good about myself. Hopefully I can start to swing the bat better and keep it going."

Prince Fielder got into the long ball act with a solo homer for the Brewers, who have won seven in a row at home and own an NL-best 17-6 record as the host this season. Milwaukee, which is 4-0 on a nine-game residency, has won four straight overall and nine of its last 11 games.

Brewers starter Yovani Gallardo had more than enough run support to nail down his sixth win of the season (6-2), as he allowed a home run to Mike Morse and struck out nine batters over seven innings.

Chris Narveson draws the pitching assignment Tuesday for the Brew Crew and is 2-3 with a 3.44 earned run average in nine starts. He is 1-0 in his last two outings since a personal three-game slide and recorded a no-decision in last Thursday's 1-0 loss at San Diego. Narveson lasted 7 1/3 innings and did not allow a run for the third time this season, going 1-0 in that span.

Narveson, a left-hander, faced Washington in a 4-3 loss on April 15 and did not record a decision with 5 2/3 innings of three-run ball. He is 1-0 in four career meetings (2 starts) with the Nationals.

Washington has been stumbling a bit with three straight losses and eight in its last 11 games. It dropped to 1-5 on an eight-game road trip last night no thanks to starting pitcher Tom Gorzelanny, who was reached for six runs and eight hits in five innings.

"I was trying to throw pitches inside, but they were right down the middle," Gorzelanny said.

Drew Storen surrendered three runs in just two-thirds of an inning, while Morse homered and both Roger Bernadina and Jerry Hairston Jr. each had two hits and an RBI in defeat.

Hoping to get himself and his ballclub back into the win column tonight will be Nats veteran starter Livan Hernandez. Hernandez has lost his previous four trips to the mound even though he's been solid over the past two with consecutive seven-inning, one-run games.

The right-hander and 1997 World Series MVP was last in action during Thursday's 1-0 loss against the New York Mets and held the hosts to a run on seven hits with seven strikeouts and two walks. Hernandez fell to 3-6 with a 3.64 earned run average in 10 starts this season and is 0-4 in five road starts. He beat Milwaukee on April 17 with seven innings of one-run ball and is 9-6 with a 3.55 ERA in 22 career starts against the Brewers.

The Nationals swept that three-game set in DC from April 15-17 after Milwaukee took four of six matchups in the 2010 campaign.