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Reds-Brewers Preview

May 28, 2009 - 9:32 PM By BRETT HUSTON STATS Writer

Cincinnati (26-20) at Milwaukee (27-20), 8:05 p.m. EDT

The Milwaukee Brewers aren't scoring right now, and they've lost their lead in the NL Central because of it.

Johnny Cueto's pitching, meanwhile, has helped push the Cincinnati Reds into contention.

The Brewers avoided the right-hander in their first two series with Cincinnati this season, but Cueto is scheduled to start the opener of the teams' three-game set Friday night at Miller Park.

Milwaukee (27-20) opened up a two-game lead in the division by winning eight of nine from May 12-21, part of a stretch that saw the Brewers go 22-6 after April 22.

They've slipped from first, though, because of a lineup that's struggling without second baseman Rickie Weeks, who's out for the season with a left wrist injury. Shortstop J.J. Hardy missed four games in the past week as well, and Milwaukee has lost five of six while averaging 2.0 runs.

Hardy returned from back spasms Wednesday against St. Louis and had three hits, and Ryan Braun was in the lineup a day after leaving with a sore wrist. Still, the Brewers couldn't mount any consistent threats and lost 3-2.

They're hoping Thursday - their first day off since May 15 - will help them regroup.

"There are absolutely no excuses when you go out and play - you go out and you lay it out there and your results are your results," manager Ken Macha told the team's official Web site. "(But) our travel and sleep (and) rest situations over these last nine games have been difficult."

Milwaukee is hitting .204 in the past six games and has homered once in that stretch. The Brewers are 22-9 when they hit a home run and 5-11 when they don't.

Cueto (4-2, 2.37 ERA) has given up five homers in 60 2-3 innings this season. He went 1-0 with a 2.79 ERA in three starts against Milwaukee as a rookie last year.

While Cueto mostly struggled in 2008 after a few excellent early starts, he's been sharp throughout the first two months this season. He's lasted at least seven innings in seven consecutive starts.

He made it through seven innings Sunday against Cleveland, giving up three runs and six hits while striking out seven. The Reds won 4-3 in 11 innings.

"Cueto threw great," manager Dusty Baker told the team's official Web site. "Boy, that was a tough way to get a no-decision."

Cincinnati began a nine-game homestand May 19 and dropped three of the first five games. The Reds won the final four, however, getting two homers from Jay Bruce in a 6-1 victory over Houston on Wednesday that pulled them within a half-game of the second-place Brewers.

"We came in here and took care of business," said Bruce, a .333 hitter (18 for 54) with eight homers in 16 games against Milwaukee. "We'll go on the road on a roll with some momentum. We plan on coming back (home) in first place."

Cincinnati will take a 13-8 road record into Miller Park to begin a seven-game trip, and will face Braden Looper (4-3, 4.47). The right-hander up five runs over six innings of a 6-2 loss at Minnesota on Saturday.

He's 1-1 with a 7.71 ERA in two starts versus the Reds this season.