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Brewers hope Bush can get untracked

Apr 23, 2008 - 1:40 PM Philadelphia (11-10) at Milwaukee (12-8) 8:05 pm EDT

MILWAUKEE (Ticker) - The Milwaukee Brewers need Dave Bush to end his early-season struggles on Wednesday in the opener of a two-game series with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Milwaukee used seven relievers in Tuesday's 9-8, extra-inning victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. The weary Brewers' bullpen would like to see a strong performance out of Bush (0-3,7.02 ERA), who has allowed 13 earned runs in 16 2/3 innings this season.

However, Bush's last outing may be reason for hope. The righthander allowed three runs and six hits in six innings - his best start of the season - on Tuesday in a 6-1 loss to St. Louis.

Bush will have to deal with the red-hot Chase Utley, who had homered in five straight games before failing to hit one in Tuesday's 8-6 victory over the Colorado Rockies.

Utley is hitting .433 (13-for-30) with six home runs and 11 RBI during a seven-game hitting streak.

Cole Hamels (2-2, 1.86) hopes Utley's hot streak can help him bounce back from his worst start of the season. Hamels allowed five runs and eight hits in seven innings of a 6-4 loss to the New York Mets on Friday.

The 24-year-old lefthander had yielded just two earned runs in his previous three starts.