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Pirates lean on Armas to avoid sweep

May 6, 2007 - 2:14 PM Pittsburgh (13-16) at Milwaukee (20-10) 2:05 pm EDT

MILWAUKEE (Ticker) - The Pittsburgh Pirates hope Tony Armas can help them figure out the Milwaukee Brewers and avoid a sweep.

Armas (0-2, 8.66 ERA) takes the mound for Pittsburgh in the series finale on Sunday.

Despite losing four of five and being outscored 20-5 in the first three-games of this series, the Pirates have a reason to be optimistic.

That is because Armas is 3-0 with a 1.42 ERA lifetime against Milwaukee.

After a rocky start to the season Armas has allowed just three earned runs in his past two outings. His last time out he allowed just two runs and six hits in six innings but did not factor into the decision, as the Pirates lost, 8-6, to Chicago on Wednesday.

Pittsburgh will have to face a rejuvenated Ben Sheets (2-2, 4.25). Sheets has allowed just four runs in his last two starts after being tagged for 13 in his previous two outings.

Sheets won his second game of the year by limiting St. Louis to two run and six hits in six innings on Tuesday.

Xavier Nady, who has been limited due to a strained hamstring, will do his best to stop the Pirates skid. He is 4-for-7 with two homers and a double vs. Sheets in his career.