(Sports Network) - Pittsburgh native Dave Bush takes another crack at his hometown team tonight when the Milwaukee Brewers host the visiting Pirates in the second game of a three-game weekend series at Miller Park.

Bush, who was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the second round in 2002, is just 1-4 in seven career games against the Pirates - six starts - including an 8-4 loss in Pittsburgh on May 22.

In that game, the 28-year-old allowed nine hits and six runs in five innings.

He's gone 3-3 in seven starts since, including a 6-3 loss at Arizona in his last start, on June 30.

The Pirates go with southpaw Paul Maholm, who hasn't lost in seven starts since dropping a 7-2 verdict to the Brewers on ay 20.

Milwaukee touched the former first-round draft pick for nine hits and four runs in 6 1/3 innings in that game, which dropped Maholm to 2-3 lifetime against the Brewers in six starts.

He's 3-0 since, however, including a 6-3 defeat of the Toronto Blue Jays on June 21, in which he gave up seven hits and three runs in seven innings.

In his last start, Maholm got a no-decision after allowing five hits and two runs in seven innings of the Pirates' 4-3 loss at Cincinnati.

He is 1-4 in seven road starts in 2008.

On Friday, J.J. Hardy hit a two-run homer as part of a five-run outburst in the fifth inning en route to a 9-1 Brewers victory over the Pirates.

Hardy hit the home run with one out to give the Brewers a 5-1 lead early in the inning. Two batters later after Ryan Braun was picked off, Prince Fielder blooped a double down the left field line, keeping the frame alive. Corey Hart followed with a two-out RBI single to account for the sixth run.

Milwaukee continued the barrage with two outs, scoring two more runs on Bill Hall's RBI single and Jason Bay's throwing error. Pittsburgh starter Tom Gorzelanny was finally pulled after walking the next batter, Jason Kendall, on four pitches after the score had ballooned to 8-1.

Fielder added an RBI double in the sixth to make it 9-1 for the Brewers, who have won three of four.

Hardy finished the game batting 4-for-5 while Hall contributed three hits and three RBIs, including his 11th home run of the year.

Ben Sheets (10-2) threw 120 pitches, which kept his outing relatively short, but in his 5 2/3 innings he only allowed a run on eight hits with six strikeouts and three walks. The win was Sheets' fourth in his last five starts.

Gorzelanny (6-7), on the other hand, was shelled in 4 2/3 innings, giving up eight runs - seven earned - on 11 hits while striking out four and walking four. His ERA now stands at 6.57, the worst in the National League among qualifying pitchers.

Bay, Xavier Nady and Jack Wilson each contributed two hits for the Pirates, losers of three of their last five.

Milwaukee took two of three from the Pirates earlier in the season after taking 10 of the 16 in the season-series a year ago.