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Hardy drives in four runs as Brewers beat Pirates again

May 6, 2007 - 3:49 AM MILWAUKEE (Ticker) -- J.J. Hardy's continued his power explosion to keep the Milwaukee Brewers and Jeff Suppan rolling.

Hardy drove in four runs to back Suppan's fifth straight winning start as the Brewers won for the sixth time in seven games with a 6-3 victory Saturday against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Kevin Mench had two hits and Rickie Weeks scored twice for Milwaukee (20-10), which moved 10 games over .500 for the first time since 1992.

"I think we feel pretty good about it," Hardy said. "We're going out there and playing with a lot of confidence and we're having fun right now. More things are going right for us than wrong. It's nice."

Hardy, who singled in Weeks in the first inning to open the scoring off Pittsburgh starter Zach Duke (1-3), crushed a three-run homer deep over the left field fence in the seventh inning against Matt Capps to give Milwaukee a 6-2 lead.

"I don't know what it is," Hardy said. "I'm just getting some pitches to hit. I keep telling myself not to try to do too much and it's working for me."

Hardy, who had his second four-hit game in a week in Friday's win, is 13-for-24 in the first six games of this homestand. He is riding a career-high 16-game hitting streak and leading the team with eight homers and 26 RBI.

"I've got pretty high expectations of all these kids, and I've felt J.J. was a special player that could hit with power and hit for average," Brewers manager Ned Yost said. "He doesn't strike out a lot. I'm not overly surprised."

After Hardy's homer, Capps plunked Prince Fielder in the right arm and was ejected. Fielder looked out towards the mound but kept his poise and took first base.

"It was a quick hook," Capps said. "It's a judgement call. I pitched him away and had him 0-1 and I came in. You have to be able to pitch inside."

Suppan (5-2), who won his previous four starts, yielding six runs in 28 innings, was coasting with a four-hit shutout and a 3-0 lead until the sixth and left the game with the lead thanks only to a pair of runners thrown out on the bases.

After Freddy Sanchez doubled and Jason Bay walked, Adam LaRoche singled in a run. Ryan Doumit followed with an infield single, but Bay was tagged out in a rundown after LaRoche tried to move to third base, forcing Bay off third.

"That's a play they teach you starting in Little League," LaRoche said. "You've got to mirror whoever's in front of you. I peeked when he was at third, and apparently, I just assumed he was going and put my head down and kept going. That's a mental error that can't happen."

Jose Bautista then grounded to third and LaRoche, who was breaking on contact, was thrown out at the plate. Ronny Paulino doubled in Doumit and Brian Shouse replaced Suppan and after an intentional walk to Jose Castillo, struck out Chris Duffy on a 3-2 pitch to escape the inning.

"It was a great start by Jeff," Yost said. "He kept holding them right there, and started laboring in the sixth inning, but Shouse came in and shut the door and the rest of the guys did a nice job."

Shouse has been exceptional this year, stranding all 21 inherited runners he has faced.

Suppan was charged with two runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings to improve to 8-1 all-time at Miller Park and 9-3 against one of his former clubs.

"The defense did a tremendous job, and obviously offensively we came through," Suppan said. "Defense is a big asset, especially when you have some crazy innings."

Chris Spurling yielded a ninth-inning homer to Xavier Nady and walked Sanchez before Francisco Cordero retired Brad Eldred on a first-pitch popout to notch his 11th save in 11 chances.

Duke pitched well in the loss with six hits and one walk allowed in five innings. Just one of the three runs he allowed was earned.

"In all fairness to Zack Duke, he did a very, very nice job," Pirates manager Jim Tracy said. "All the things that happened early in the game, he was the victim of."