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Hardy homers twice in Brewers' win

Jul 6, 2008 - 10:49 PM By J.R. Radcliffe PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer*

MILWAUKEE (Ticker) -- The Milwaukee Brewers found a little "extra" to complete a sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday. Perhaps, more accurately, they found a lot of it.

The Brewers tied a franchise record for extra-base hits in a game, led by a pair of home runs from white-hot J.J. Hardy, to defeat the Pirates, 11-6, on Sunday at Miller Park.

Hardy, whose 16-game hitting streak was snapped one night earlier, added one of the team's club record-tying nine doubles and finished with three hits. The shortstop has six home runs in his past six games and is hitting 18-for-29 (.621) in his last seven contests.

"I can't explain it," Hardy said. "It feels good. I think I'm just relaxed and comfortable up there, and it seems like I'm getting a lot of pitches to hit. When things are going bad, it seems like you hit the ball hard and everything gets caught. When things are going good, it seems like you don't have to hit the ball hard, and you'll find holes."

Hitting the ball softly wasn't the problem for Hardy, who recorded consecutive four-hit games before going 0-for-3 with a critical ninth-inning sacrifice bunt in Saturday's game. Both of his home runs Sunday were two-run shots, giving him a season-high four RBI.

"He's hitting for singles, he's clutch hitting, he's hitting everything," Brewers manager Ned Yost said. "I don't know how much better it gets."

Bill Hall also collected three hits, as every Brewers regular recorded an extra-base hit except Mike Cameron.

"I knew I was going to be in there for three days in a row and face some guys I've been successful off as well," said Hall, whose ineffectiveness against righthanders landed him in a platoon at third base with Russell Branyan.

"Going into the series, I was starting to feel confident with my swing again, starting to feel good at the plate and in batting practice. It showed for the series. I even hit some tough ones and got hits off of them."

Hall finished the series - which featured a trio of opposing lefthanded starters - 7-for-11 with a home run and four doubles.

On the day he was announced as a starter for the National League in the All-Star Game, Ryan Braun snapped out of a 15-game homerless streak with a solo blast in the opening inning, going back-to-back with Hardy's first bomb. That gave the Brewers a 3-0 lead without an out recorded.

Milwaukee finished the initial frame with four runs against lefthander Zach Duke, who lasted just 2 1/3 innings and allowed five earned runs and seven hits. Yet, Pittsburgh answered against Brewers starter Jeff Suppan, who also endured a rough outing, yielding six runs and five hits in three innings.

Jason Bay clubbed a solo homer and Nate McLouth delivered a bases-clearing double with two outs that tied the game in the second. Adam LaRoche ripped a two-run blast in the third, giving Pittsburgh a 6-4 lead.

"It's about evaluating your stuff when you go out and pitch and pitching with what you have (working) that day," Suppan said. "Lately, I haven't been pitching well with the stuff that I've had.

"You have to be able to identify whether your sinker has been moving well or off-speed stuff or whatever," Suppan added. "I think I just need to do a better job of evaluating my stuff while I'm pitching to be more effective during the game."

Milwaukee's offense picked up Suppan by scoring twice in the third and four more times in the fourth, with Corey Hart and Hall delivering RBI doubles in each inning. Hardy's second two-run homer in the fourth snapped a 6-6 tie.

Milwaukee finished with 12 extra-base hits, setting a team record in a nine-inning contest. The Brewers also had 12 extra-base hits in a 10-inning game on May 15, 2001, against Philadelphia.

"It was amazing," Pirates manager John Russell said. "They were hitting bloop doubles, line-drive doubles. They were swinging the bats very well, and it was falling in for them."

Mitch Stetter (2-1) followed Suppan with two innings to earn the victory, part of six scoreless frames by four Milwaukee relievers.

The Brewers have now won five of six, with the lone setback coming after a six-run meltdown in the ninth inning against Arizona on Thursday.

"We feel like we're rolling on all cylinders," Hall said. "We're pitching great, hitting the ball all over the place and playing good defense."