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Braun, Parra help Brewers sweep Giants

Jul 21, 2008 - 1:09 AM By Al Barba PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

SAN FRANCISCO (Ticker) -- The stakes have been raised for Manny Parra.

The 25-year old lefthander did his part against the San Francisco Giants, establishing career highs for innings pitched and strikeouts as the Milwaukee Brewers completed a series and season sweep of the San Francisco Giants with a 7-4 victory on Sunday.

The win was the fourth in a row for Milwaukee, which remains three games behind National League Central leader Chicago and one behind second-place St. Louis. The Brewers open a key four-game series at St. Louis on Monday.

With the recent acquisition of CC Sabathia and the consistent pitching of Ben Sheets, the ante has now been heightened for Parra, who extending his winning streak to seven games.

"With what CC does and what Ben does, that just ups the ante. It makes you kind of want to taste the same thing they are," Parra said. "That's a goal now to just keep going deeper and deeper into games."



Parra (9-2) yielded two runs, seven hits and two walks to go along with nine strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings as he outdueled San Francisco ace Tim Lincecum.



"When I got into trouble I was walking guys or I was giving up a hit on a ground ball except for the hit to (Rich) Aurilia," Parra said. "I was pretty happy about keeping the ball on the ground like I did. When you're getting that many ground balls, I felt like I was going to get double plays and that I was going to get out of it."

"When I got into trouble I was walking guys or I was giving up a hit on a ground ball except for the hit to (Rich) Aurilia," Parra said. "I was pretty happy about keeping the ball on the ground like I did. When you're getting that many ground balls, I felt like I was going to get double plays and that I was going to get out of it."

Parra held San Francisco scoreless until allowing a pair of runs in the eighth inning. Carlos Villanueva recorded the final out of the eighth and, after Brian Shouse surrendered two runs in the ninth, Salomon Torres, retired Randy Winn for the game's final out to record his 17th save of the season.

"Manny was excellent on the mound," Brewers manager Ned Yost said. "Most of the time when Manny got in trouble in would be self-inflicted. He did a great job of limiting the damage. He could have been out of the eighth inning without allowing any runs."

Parra also contributed with the bat as he produced an RBI single in the second, extending the streak of Milwaukee pitchers collecting a base hit to five games.

"I didn't get the extra-base hit that I was supposed to get. I thought I might have gotten one at the end but I didn't," Parra said. "Isn't it fun when pitchers hit also?"

Lincecum (11-3), making his first start after experiencing flu-like symptoms that kept him out of the All-Star Game, surrendered five runs, four hits, walked four and struck out eight while throwing 121 pitches in six-plus innings.

The Giants' ace righthander worked out of trouble during the early stages of the game as he allowed a runner to advance into scoring position in each of the first four innings.

"He (Lincecum) felt fine. He threw better as he went," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "Going into his last inning, he had easy innings. He felt great. He had to work hard on (Ryan) Braun and that ran his count up pretty good. It was a 2-0 ballgame and we got our best out there and want to keep it that way."

The Brewers broke through against Lincecum in the second inning on a leadoff home run by Corey Hart and made it 2-0 on a two-out single by Parra that scored Russell Branyan, who followed Hart's blast with a double.

Milwaukee sealed the victory in the seventh on a three-run home run by Braun that gave the Brewers a 5-0 lead and ended Lincecum's afternoon. Braun drove in the Brewers' final two runs with a double in the ninth inning and finished the game with five RBI.



Meanwhile, Parra was in total command as he limited the Giants to just one extra-base hit and did not allow a runner to reach third base until Aurilia advanced there with two outs after opening the seventh inning with a double.



"It (Milwaukee) is a very, very good ballclub. It is a tough lineup and they have power and speed," Bochy said. "You are facing Sabathia, Sheets and the guy today, Parra, throws well too. You don't hear much about him, but he is throwing up there 97, 98 at times with a good slider and changeup."

San Francisco finally broke through on a two-out, two-run double off the glove of Hart in right field in the eighth inning by Aaron Rowand. Carlos Villanueva came on to relieve Parra and retired Aurilia to end the threat.