Astros-Brewers Preview - MLB

Houston (35-70) at Milwaukee (57-49)
The Milwaukee Brewers won’t have All-Star second baseman Rickie Weeks(notes) for a while, but with Ryan Braun(notes) getting healthy and the bullpen pulling its weight, the NL Central leaders could be just fine.

The Houston Astros can’t make that same claim, but at least they’re winning.
Milwaukee goes for its fourth consecutive victory Friday night when it opens a series against an Astros club trying to post its first three-game winning streak in nearly two months.
With Weeks out at least two weeks after spraining his left ankle in Wednesday’s 2-0 win over the Chicago Cubs, the Brewers (57-49) need others to contribute to fill a huge hole in the middle of their lineup.
“Whenever you lose someone like Rickie, you can’t replace him with one player,” Braun said Thursday after Milwaukee completed a three-game sweep of the Cubs with a 4-2 victory.
Braun, though, could carry the Brewers. The All-Star left fielder is batting .452 (14 for 31) with five homers and nine RBIs in his last eight contests while playing with a nagging left calf injury.
“I feel like my approaches have been good and I’ve been swinging at strikes,” he said. “When I do that, the results are usually pretty good.”
That’s been the case against Houston. Braun is 10 for 24 with three homers and eight RBIs in six games between these division rivals in 2011, and he’s a .393 hitter with 14 homers and 37 RBIs in 31 home games versus Houston.
Milwaukee, 36-14 at home, has won 26 of 35 at Miller Park in this matchup after taking two of three from April 22-24.
The Astros (35-70) arrive for this three-game set after winning two straight at St. Louis to salvage a series split. Houston last won three in a row as part of a season-best four-game win streak May 30-June 2.
“We’re finally coming through at the plate,” said Carlos Lee(notes), who homered in Thursday’s 5-3 victory and is 15 for 38 with three homers and 12 RBIs in the last 10 games.
Lee, though, is 4 for 23 against Milwaukee in 2011. The former Brewer has five hits in 29 at-bats off Friday’s starter Randy Wolf(notes) (6-8, 3.62 ERA).
The left-hander is 0-4 with a 4.86 ERA in his last five starts, but manager Ron Roenicke sees improvement.
“For me, that’s as good as he’s thrown the ball,” Roenicke told the Brewers’ official website after Wolf gave up three runs in six innings of Saturday’s 4-2 loss at San Francisco.
Wolf is 1-0 with a 1.20 ERA in two starts versus Houston this season.
If he can’t deliver another solid performance, the bullpen might be able to quiet the Astros’ bats. Brewers relievers have a 1.73 ERA in the last 11 games.
Jordan Lyles(notes) (0-5, 4.55) gets his first look at the Brewers and will try to avoid becoming the first Astro to go 11 starts to open his career without a win. In Sunday’s 5-4, 10-inning loss at the Cubs, the right-hander gave up three runs in six innings.
Houston’s Michael Bourn(notes) is batting .424 (25 for 59) during a career-best 13-game hitting streak. He has 12 steals during this stretch.
All-Star outfielder Hunter Pence(notes) , who is 6 for 24 against Milwaukee, is hoping the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline will pass without him leaving the Astros to a contender.
“I love these guys and I love Houston,” Pence said. “That’s all I know. I’m not really in control.”