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Hart hits two of Brewers' five homers in win

Jun 12, 2008 - 4:51 AM By Gene Duffey PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

HOUSTON (Ticker) -- Milwaukee's Corey Hart hit two home runs to help the Milwaukee Brewers post a 10-6 victory over the Houston Astros on Wednesday night.

It was the third time this month Milwaukee scored at least 10 runs in a game and the second time against Houston.

Hart's two-run home run capped a three-homer fourth inning against Houston starter Brandon Backe (4-8), who surrendered back-to-back blasts to Russell Branyon and Mike Cameron to open the frame.

Manager Ned Yost moved Hart into the leadoff spot to replace the injured Rickie Weeks, who is on the disabled list with a sprained left knee.

"(Hart's) been good in that role before," Yost said. "He's good any place you put him (in the order). He's not as streaky as most. He does things to keep his average up. And when he's swinging well, he knocks fences down."

Hart finished 3-for-5 with four RBI and raised his average to .302.

"I don't mind," Hart said of batting leadoff. "I've done it plenty in the past, so it's not that big a change. You see (a team enough), you get to know their pitchers. This year's been a little different. We've managed to win games other ways (besides hitting homers). But it's fun winning games like this. I know we're still in the top five in home runs."

The 26-year-old Hart also delivered a two-run shot in the eighth to push the lead to 9-6. It was his first multi-homer performance since August 2.

Jason Kendall got in on the action with his first home run of the season in the fifth - a two-run shot off Astros reliever Tim Byrdak to make it 7-3.

Miguel Tejada and Carlos Lee hit solo homers in the third for the Astros, who battled back within 7-6 when Brad Ausmus' run-scoring double capped a three-run sixth.

Milwaukee starter Manny Parra (5-2) picked up the win, giving up five runs and 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out three and walked none for his third consecutive victory.

"(Parra) battles," Yost said. "He's got so much room for growth. But he's (starting to) trust his stuff and attacking. His resurgence started when he stopped trying to be so fine."

"I made some good pitches and some bad ones," Parra said. "You've got to pitch down. It was great because the offense did what they did. When they hit the ball like that, you should get the job done."

Ausmus and Astros manager Cecil Cooper were ejected in the top of the seventh for arguing separate plays with first base umpire Angel Campos.

Ausmus protested a no-swing call with Cameron at the plate, while Cooper argued with Campos about a pickoff call at first involving Cameron.

"I was just playing ball," Cameron said. "I sat and listened. I heard everything."

"I couldn't yell at him from home plate," Ausmus said of Campos. "He certainly had due cause to toss me, but I think I had due cause to argue. I think the replay backs me up."

Cameron believed he was safe on all the pickoffs throws to first, but thought the one made by catcher Humberto Quintero was closer than the ones from pitcher Chris Sampson, one of which led to Cooper's ejection.

"They were close, but I didn't think I was out," Cameron said. "You want them to be close. I didn't know Sampson had that good a move."

"Just blown calls, I don't want to talk about it," Cooper said. "(Campos) said I took my hat off. I threw it down and I guess my hat must have hit him. It wasn't intentional. I don't know if it's an automatic ejection if you take your hat off or what. In Brad's case, he said Brad showed him up. I kept trying to find out what Brad did. Nobody saw what Brad did. He saw it. That's why he got him."

Milwaukee shortstop J.J. Hardy left in the sixth inning with an irritation in his left shoulder and is listed as day-to-day.