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Brewers try to hand Astros another loss

Aug 6, 2011 - 3:40 PM (Sports Network) - With wins in nine of their last 10 games, the Milwaukee Brewers are asserting themselves as a first-place team in the NL Central.

They take a three-game lead into tonight's contest against the team with the worst record in the majors -- the Houston Astros.

Chris Narveson starts tonight for the Brewers. The lefty is 3-1 over his last seven starts and is coming off a no-decision to the Astros on Sunday when he faced tonight's starter for Houston -- Brett Myers. The Brewers won that game, 5-4, at Miller Park. Narveson is 0-2 in seven games (6 starts) when facing Houston.

Myers tries to snap a personal eight-start winless stretch. The right-hander has five defeats in that stretch with the Astros posting two victories in that stretch. He's 5-4 with a 3.76 ERA in 15 games (11 starts) against the Brewers.

Brewers right-hander Yovani Gallardo beat J.A. Happ and the Houston Astros for the second time in seven days, pitching eight strong innings Friday night to lead Milwaukee to an 8-1 win in the opener of this three-game series.

Gallardo (13-7) allowed one run on just four hits and a walk, striking out six. The 25-year-old right-hander yielded one unearned run in a 6-2 victory over Houston last Saturday that came in the middle of Milwaukee's three-game sweep.

Indeed, the Brewers have been feasting on NL Central teams lately. They are 9-1 during a current 18-game streak of playing only division opponents, giving them a three-game lead over the Cardinals for first place.

Corey Hart hit a solo homer and Ryan Braun was 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored for the Brewers, who remained hot after entering the game fresh off an 8-1 homestand.

"This is a nice little run where we've swung the bat really well all through the lineup," said Brewers manager Ron Roenicke.

Happ (4-14) continued his monumental struggles, giving up six runs and seven hits in just four innings to fall to 1-10 in his last 14 starts.

The 28-year-old left-hander became the first Astros pitcher ever to give up five runs or more in eight straight starts.

The Astros finished with just four hits and fell to 4-10 in their last 14 games.

Milwaukee has beaten Houston seven out of 10 tries this season.