Astros  2    Brewers  11

Houston Astros (56-59) at Milwaukee Brewers (56-58), 8:05 p.m.

Sports Network | August 14, 2009

(Sports Network) - Two teams running on fumes for a possible shot at the playoffs get together this evening, when the Milwaukee Brewers kick off a three-game series versus the NL Central-rival Houston Astros at Miller Park.

Milwaukee is seven games off the lead in the Central standings and Houston is right behind at 7 1/2 games off the pace. The Brewers enter Friday's series opener fresh off a 12-9 win over San Diego in the finale of a three-game set on Thursday, which put the brakes on a three-game losing streak. Mike Rivera clubbed a two-run homer and also added a three-run blast for the Brewers, who got a pair of solo home runs out of All-Star Prince Fielder.

Ryan Braun hit a two-run homer and Jody Gerut had two hits, drove in a run and scored three times in a winning effort. Starting pitcher Manny Parra took advantage of the run support and lasted 5 2/3 innings, allowing 13 hits and six runs with two walks and seven strikeouts. He won his fourth straight start.

"Manny had a good fastball today and he threw the ball pretty well," said Brewers manager Ken Macha. "The numbers aren't going to indicate that. We were able to score some runs for him."

Macha hopes to get the same results from Yovani Gallardo, who will handle pitching duties Friday night. Gallardo has lost two straight starts and five of seven decisions, including a loss at Houston his last time out on August 7. He allowed a pair of runs and six hits in seven innings of a 2-0 setback to fall to 1-2 with a 4.29 earned run average in three outings against the Astros this season. He is 3-2 in five lifetime starts in this series.

The right-hander is 10-9 with a 3.54 ERA in 23 trips to the hill in 2009.

Houston just dropped three of four games to the Florida Marlins and is coming off Thursday's 9-2 beating in the series finale. Darin Erstad drove in a run for the Astros and starting pitcher Mike Hampton was tagged with the loss for giving up three runs on six hits with three strikeouts over five innings. Hampton added two hits and drove in a run at the plate.

Astros ace Wandy Rodriguez has been sensational over his last nine starts, going 6-0 and allowing no more than one run just once, and will take the ball Friday night at Miller Park. He last toed the rubber in a 2-0 victory over the Brewers on Sunday and hurled seven shutout innings to improve to 11-6 with a 2.51 earned run average in 23 starts this season.

The right-hander is 2-0 against Milwaukee this season and 5-5 in 14 career games (13 starts). Rodriguez has given up just one run in 14 innings versus the Brewers in 2009.

Milwaukee has won five of the nine meetings with Houston this season -- all at Minute Maid Park.