Milwaukee, WI (Sports Network) - Ben Sheets finished one out shy of his third complete game of the season, while Prince Fielder and Russell Branyan each hit mammoth home runs as the Milwaukee Brewers topped the Houston Astros, 4-1, in the second of three games at Miller Park.
Sheets (6-1) held the Astros to one run on seven hits in 8 2/3 innings, striking out five and allowing just one walk. Ryan Braun knocked in his 40th run for the Brewers, who have won two straight and five of their last six games. Rickie Weeks, Corey Hart and Branyan each went 2-for-4 in the win.
"He's a competitor he wants to finish the game," said Brewers manager Ned Yost. "Benny is one of the few guys that when he steps foot on the mound he expects to go nine."
Darin Erstad knocked in the lone run for the Astros, who dropped their fourth straight decision. Brian Moehler (2-2) allowed three runs on six hits over five innings to absorb the loss, striking out six and walking one.
Trailing 1-0, the Brewers finally broke through against Moehler in the home fifth. Weeks grounded a one-out double to left, and after Mike Cameron was caught looking, Braun ripped a single to left to plate the tying run. Fielder then golfed a low change-up into the second deck in right to give Milwaukee a 3-1 lead.
"Anytime I'm able to produce it's good," Fielder said. "Anytime anybody's able to cross the plate when I'm hitting -- whether it be me or somebody else -- I'm always happy with it. That's what I strive for"
Branyan extended the Milwaukee lead to 4-1 in the sixth, leading off with a colossal, 465-foot homer to right off Oscar Villarreal. The blast was the third longest in Miller Park's nine-year history, and Branyan also clubbed the longest homer in the park's history.
Sheets was never in trouble, but after allowing a two-out walk to Lance Berkman in the ninth, Brewers manager Ned Yost made the decision to lift Sheets after 122 pitches. Salomon Torres came out of the bullpen and only had to throw two pitches to record his fifth save, getting Carlos Lee to line out to center.
"I just thought I could have finished it," Sheets said. "I had a long at bat with probably one of the hottest hitters in baseball I didn't feel like I lost anything, but they're uncomfortable with those pitch counts getting up there which is fine, you know, they've got a plan."
Fielder was hit by a pitch to start the home second, and Hart singled him to second. Two outs later, Jason Kendall worked a walk to load the bases, but Sheets was retired on a soft liner to end the inning.
Ty Wigginton stroked a leadoff double in the top of the third, then came around to score the game's first run when Erstad flipped a soft single to center.
(Sports Network) - Mike Mussina takes aim at win No. 18 this afternoon when the New York Yankees play the rubber match of their three-game series ... Full Story...
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