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Brewers seek to find some offense against Phils

Jul 8, 2014 - 2:52 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Milwaukee Brewers have struggled to get their offense going recently and hope the bats come alive Tuesday in the second meeting of four straight versus the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Brewers dropped a 3-2 decision to the Phillies in Monday's series opener at Miller Park and got two hits apiece from Ryan Braun and Jean Segura. Jeff Bianchi provided Milwaukee's offense with a two-run single in the fifth inning.

Marco Estrada was dealt the loss in the start and he surrendered a two-run homer to Chase Utley and an RBI single by Ryan Howard.

"He did okay after that first inning," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said of Estrada. "We have to get through those first couple of innings and see if we can throw up some zeroes."

Milwaukee has lost six of its last seven games and has scored no more than two runs in each of the previous four. The club has had success when outhitting the opponent, going 38-4 in those instances. The Brewers have won 10 straight when producing more hits than the opposition.

Wily Peralta draws the start for the NL Central-leading Brewers Tuesday and has won his last five decisions. He did not factor in the outcome of a 7-4 loss at Toronto last Wednesday and was reached for four runs and nine hits in six innings. Peralta has given up three or more runs in four straight and six of seven starts.

Peralta is 9-5 with a 3.35 earned run average and will face Philadelphia for the third time in his career. The righty is 1-1 with a 5.25 ERA in two career starts in this series.

The Phillies won for just the fourth time in 17 tries last night and are 2-5 on a 10-game road trip. Utley and Howard gave Cole Hamels a 3-0 lead by the third inning and the left-hander lasted 6 2/3 frames, allowing two runs -- one earned -- and seven hits. He struck out seven and walked two.

"The guys were playing good baseball from the beginning," Hamels said.

Ken Giles got the next four outs and closer Jonathan Papelbon registered his 20th save in the ninth.

Philadelphia, which ended a six-game slide to Milwaukee, had lost its previous 14 games in which it scored three runs or less. It is 8-38 when producing that many runs this season.

The Phillies are 5-14 in their last 19 games against NL Central foes and hope Kyle Kendrick can improve that mark when he takes the mound Tuesday. Kendrick is only 3-8 with a 4.12 ERA and 0-2 in his last three appearances. He did not record a decision in last Thursday's 5-4 win at Miami and pitched well, allowing just a pair of runs in seven innings.

Kendrick has pitched at least six innings in eight straight outings and is only 1-5 with a 4.06 ERA in nine career games (6 starts) against Milwaukee. The right-hander is also 1-4 in nine road assignments.

Milwaukee won three games in Philadelphia back in early April and went 5-2 against the Phillies last season.