Milwaukee (17-16) at Pittsburgh (15-18), 7:05 pm EDT
PITTSBURGH -- For the Pittsburgh Pirates to continue
their winning ways, righthander Kip Wells will have to figure
out a way to defeat the Milwaukee Brewers when the clubs open
a three-game series Friday.
The Pirates have won four of their last five games, including
the final two in a three-game set with San Francisco. In
Wednesday's 7-2 triumph, Josh Fogg yielded two runs in seven
innings and Ty Wigginton hit a two-run homer to snap a 2-2
seventh-inning tie.
The game marked the fifth straight contest that the Pirates have
allowed exactly two runs, a feat that Wells will try to
continue against a team that has given him fits this season.
Wells (3-3, 4.53 ERA) has a mark of 0-2 with an 8.03 ERA in two
starts, allowing 11 earned runs in 12 1/3 innings against
Milwaukee, while allowing 11 earned runs in 31 1/3 innings in
his other five starts.
The Brewers also enter this one on a hot streak, posting a 9-3
record on their homestand. They took the last two games against
the Philadelphia Phillies, with Junior Spivey's three-run
double in the eighth providing the difference in Wednesday's 5-2
victory.
Lefthander Chris Capuano (2-2, 4.04), winner of two of his last
three starts with an ERA of 2.66, counters for Milwaukee. His
shortest outing of the season came on April 13 against the
Pirates, as he surrendered two runs and seven hits in just five
innings.