(Sports Network) - The Milwaukee Brewers go for their 10th straight home win over the Toronto Blue Jays today, when the two clubs wrap a three-game series at Miller Park.
Though Milwaukee has switched leagues and ballparks, its current home dominance of Toronto has yet to change. The Brewers and Blue Jays are meeting in Milwaukee for the first time since 1997, the Brew Crew's last season as an AL club. The Brewers won all five meetings at home with the Jays that year and have won the last nine matchups as the host in this series. Toronto hasn't posted a win in Milwaukee since July 14, 1996.
Milwaukee also won two of three games the last time these two teams got together, from June 17-19, 2005 in Toronto. The Brewers' last three-game sweep of the Blue Jays came north of the border from June 20-22, 1995.
Toronto has unfortunately drawn a Milwaukee club that is swinging a powerful collective bat. The Brewers hit two more home runs in Wednesday's 5-4 victory, giving them 90 on the season -- the third highest total in the NL -- and 19 over their last seven games.
Russell Branyan and Mike Cameron both hit solo homers for Milwaukee, though it was Corey Hart's RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning that proved to be the difference.
Ben Sheets (8-1) allowed two runs on four hits with four walks and five strikeouts over six innings of work to get the win, the Brewers' third straight.
Branyan now has 18 hits since joining the club in late May, with nine of them accounting for home runs. Also, shortstop J.J. Hardy, nursing a sore right shoulder, returned to the Milwaukee lineup for the first time since June 11 and was 1-for-4 with a walk.
Toronto starter Shaun Marcum (5-4), who entered with an AL-best 2.43 earned run average, surrendered four runs on six hits and struck out six in six innings to absorb the loss.
Gregg Zaun hit a solo homer, his second in two games since returning from the disabled list because of an elbow injury, and also doubled while driving in three runs for Toronto, which has dropped four straight. Vernon Wells was 3- for-5 and scored twice.
The Blue Jays have managed just 12 runs over their road losing streak to the Brewers, while Milwaukee has plated a total of 37.
Toronto's A.J. Burnett will try to contain the Brewers this afternoon, though he took the loss the last time he faced him. The righty last started versus Milwaukee on August 24, 2005 and he gave up six runs -- though just two were earned -- on seven hits over six innings. He also fanned six in that game, which took place while Burnett was still pitching for Florida.
The 31-year-old is 6-6 with a 4.90 ERA this year and earned the win on Friday versus the Cubs. Burnett lasted just five innings, but gave up two runs on four hits and four walks to go along with seven strikeouts.
In his previous outing, which came June 7 against Baltimore, he was tagged for eight runs on 10 hits.
Burnett is 1-1 with a 4.85 ERA in four career starts against Milwaukee.
The Brewers counter with former Blue Jay Dave Bush, who has never faced Toronto. Bush has lost his last two outings, allowing a total of nine runs (8 earned) in that span. He faced the Twins on Friday and gave up four runs (3 earned) on a season-high 10 hits over six frames of a 10-2 loss.
The righty is 2-7 with a 5.73 ERA on the year, but 2-2 with a 3.62 ERA in six home starts.
St. Louis, MO (Sports Network) - The St. Louis Cardinals signed left-handed reliever Trever Miller to a one-year contract on Wednesday. ... Full Story...
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