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Struggling Brewers look to right the ship against Astros

Aug 10, 2007 - 2:21 PM Milwaukee (60-55) at Houston (51-63) 8:05 pm EDT

HOUSTON (Ticker) -- The Milwaukee Brewers are struggling to hold onto first place in the National League Central. They will look to snap a four-game losing streak when they visit the Houston Astros on Friday.

The Brewers have maintained a half-game lead over the Chicago Cubs (59-55) in the NL Central - despite the four-game slide - due in part to the Astros, who swept the Cubs in a recently-completed three-game series.

Milwaukee will be trying to bounce back from an embarrassing 19-4 trashing at the hands of the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday. In their four losses, the Brewers have been outscored, 44-16.

Dave Bush (9-8, 5.03 ERA) will be trying to keep an overworked relief corps in the bullpen on Friday. The veteran righthander returned to the rotation Saturday after a one-week demotion to the bullpen and allowed five runs in five innings against the Philadelphia Phillies, not factoring in a 6-5 win.

The Astros will counter with righthander Jason Jennings (2-7, 6.11). The veteran hurler has been horrible lately. He allowed 11 runs and eight hits in two-thirds of an inning on July 29 against San Diego.

Jennings recovered from that outing to a certain extent in his last start, allowing five runs and 10 hits in 6 1/3 innings at the Florida Marlins last Saturday, but did not figure in a 6-5 loss.