• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Brewers rout Diamondbacks to complete sweep

Jun 4, 2008 - 11:28 PM By David Cotey PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

MILWAUKEE (Ticker) -- Corey Hart and Gabe Kapler made sure the Milwaukee Brewers kept their season-best winning streak alive.

Hart knocked in four runs including three with an inside-the-park home run and Kapler added four hits as the Brewers completed a three-game sweep of the Arizona Diamondback with a 10-1 win Wednesday at Miller Park.

Brewers starter Manny Parra (4-2) allowed a run over seven innings as Milwaukee won its sixth straight game, completed an 8-1 homestand and won for the ninth time in 10 games.

"We'll take it in stride and appreciate the great things that have been going on, a great homestand, but at the same time, it's a long season," Kapler said. "It's your job to get excited about what's going on, on the field. It's our job to maintain an even keel."

The Brewers, who scored four times in the third inning, put the game out of reach with a five-run fourth inning that gave them a 10-1 lead. The big blow was Hart's three-run home run, a line drive to right that Justin Upton dove for but could not catch.

"When he dove, I was automatically thinking I'd get (a triple)," Hart said. "When he didn't get back (after) it quick enough, I obviously was able to come all the way around. It was fun for me. It's got to be the shortest home run in Brewers history, so I've got something going."

Russell Branyan followed Hart with his fourth home run since having his contract purchased from Class AAA Nashville on May 24.

Kapler's four-hit game was the fourth of his career, but first since June 28, 2003. He was robbed of a fifth hit in the bottom of the eighth by second baseman Orlando Hudson.

Somewhat overshadowed by the offensive explosion was Parra's outing. The young lefthander extended his winning streak to three games and matched a career-high with eight strikeouts in the longest outing of his career.

"Our starting pitching this homestand has been about as good you could ask it to be," Yost said. "Manny's put together two or three nice outings in a row for me. He's on a nice roll."

Parra allowed four hits and walked two and retired the final 14 batters he faced.

"To go seven and continue being aggressive and being ahead of guys and putting them away, I felt real good about my outing," Parra said.

Owings (6-4) lasted just three innings, his shortest start since pitching just 2 2/3 innings against the St. Louis Cardinals as a rookie on September 8, 2007. He allowed five runs - four earned - on eight hits with three strikeouts.

"I was making pretty good pitches, but they were able to string some hits together in the third," Owings said. "They're playing well right now. They're a hot team."

The Diamondbacks committed seven errors in the series and were swept for the fourth time this season and second time in the last three series.

"It's not our best period right now, but you have to just keep playing, keep grinding," Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin said. "They beat us pretty good today. It's part of the frustrations."