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Brewers look to keep pace in NL Central against Astros

Sep 4, 2007 - 2:20 PM Houston (62-76) at Milwaukee (69-68) 8:05 pm EDT

MILWAUKEE (Ticker) -- The Milwaukee Brewers will look to get back on track when they take on the Houston Astros in the second game of the three-game set on Tuesday.

The Astros scored four runs in the eighth inning to hand the Brewers a 9-7 defeat on Monday. Milwaukee remains 1 1/2 games behind the Chicago Cubs (70-66) in the National League Central Division.

The Brewers have played a little better of late, winning four of their last six games. But that mini surge has come on the heels of a terrible stretch in which they went 11-25 to lose the lead in the division.

Carlos Villanueva (6-3, 4.68) will make just his second start of the season when he toes the rubber Tuesday for the Brewers.

Villanueva, who has 54 relief appearances for Milwaukee this season, made his only start this season against the Detroit Tigers on June 13. The 23-year-old righthander allowed one run and five hits over five innings but did not factor in the decision.

The Astros counter with Brandon Backe (NR), who was 3-2 with a 3.77 ERA in 2006 before undergoing "Tommy John" surgery last September. The 29-year-old Backe went 3-2 with a 4.32 ERA in five starts for Class AAA Round Rock this season.

For his career, Backe is 2-0 with a 2.55 ERA in five games - two starts - against the Brewers.

Rookie Hunter Pence had three hits, two RBI and two runs scored on Monday. Pence, who has 28 doubles on the season, has tied the Astros' franchise record for doubles by a rookie set by Lance Berkman in 2000 and Luis Gonzalez in 1991.

This season, the 24-year-old Pence is hitting .322 with 14 home runs and 55 RBI.