Former Brewer and now current Astros manager Cecil Cooper did his best Ned Yost imitation on Wednesday–both managers apparently wanted to get as many innings out of their starters to save their bullpen for Thursday’s afternoon game (presumably, a reliever who pitches for any great length on Wednesday night can not be used in the following day’s day game on short rest).
Both Brewers’ starter Manny Parra and Astros’ starter Brandon Backe gave up an early run. Miguel Tejada and Carlos Lee started the home run barrage, each with solos shots in the 3rd, to give the Astros a 3-1 lead. But the Crew countered in the 4th–first Russell Branyan started things off with a solo homer (and #6 on the year), followed by Mike Cameron’s 8th of the year to tie the game at 3-3. Jason Kendall then doubled (sending an early signal to Cecil Cooper that Brandon Backe was tiring)…but Craig Counsell and Parra both made outs, looking like Backe had settled back into his groove. Corey Hart, however, proved that theory wrong by hitting the 3rd homer of the inning, plating Kendall, and giving the Brewers at 5-3 lead…and chasing Backe from the game.
Kendall collected a home run of his own in the 5th–his first of the year–a 2-run shot to pad the lead at 7-3.
But Yost left Parra in too long, and Houston was able plate three to bring the score to 7-6, including one on a Ty Wigginton solo shot, his 4th of the season. Parra finished 5 1/3rd innings with 5 ER’s, 10 hits, 3 K’s, but 0 BB’s, but would eventually earn his 5th win of the season.
The Crew added 3 insurance runs in the 8th thanks, in part, to Corey Hart’s 2nd home run of the evening, a 2-run shot. Five of the twelve Brewers’ hits on the night went for home runs, as did three of the Astros thirteen hits.
Ben Sheets and the Crew try to take the series Thursday afternoon.
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