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Bush attempts to maintain solid pitching stretch

Aug 22, 2008 - 10:24 AM Pittsburgh (57-70) at Milwaukee (73-55) 8:05 pm EDT

MILWAUKEE (Ticker) -- While the presence of Ryan Braun in the Milwaukee Brewers' lineup has been a hit-or-miss proposition lately, there has been nothing questionable about the performance of Dave Bush.

Bush attempts to maintain his torrid pitching spell on Friday when the Brewers host the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Braun, who is batting .300 with team highs of 31 home runs and 86 RBI, has missed two straight games and hasn't started in nine of the team's last 11 since he felt tightness in his back during Milwaukee's 6-0 triumph of Washington on August 9.

Regardless of whether Braun can return to the lineup, the Brewers should be in good hands with the way Bush (7-9, 4.26 ERA) has pitched of late -- he is 2-0 with a 1.77 ERA in his last three starts.

Bush has pitched at least seven innings in five of his last seven games, a stretch that started against the Pirates on July 5. He was at it again in Saturday's 4-3, 10-inning win over the Dodgers although he did not figure into the decision despite tossing seven innings again Saturday, yielding two runs and five hits.

The reeling Pirates, losers of five of seven, will turn to Zach Duke (4-11, 5.26), who is winless over his last 12 starts and has yet to taste victory at Miller Park.

The lefthander dropped his seventh consecutive decision in Saturday's 7-4 setback to the Mets after he surrendered six runs and nine hits over six frames.