Braun's homer sparks Brewers to win, share of NL Central lead
MILWAUKEE -- Ryan Braun homered and drove in four runs, Bill Hall hit a tiebreaking RBI single in the eighth inning and the Milwaukee Brewers grabbed a share of the NL Central lead with a 6-4 victory over the Houston Astros on Saturday night.
Milwaukee has won nine of 10 to move into a tie with the Chicago Cubs, who lost 3-2 to the Florida Marlins in 12 innings Saturday.
Eric Gagne (4-2) pitched a perfect eighth to get the win, and Salomon Torres got three outs for his 20th save in 24 chances.
The Brewers tied it with two runs in the seventh and went in front in the eighth. Corey Hart hit Doug Brocail's first pitch of the eighth for a double, and Hall followed with a bloop single to right-center on the next offering.
Hall went to second on a balk by Brocail (4-5) and later scored on a ground out by Jason Kendall to make it 6-4.
Braun tied it at four with a line-drive, two-run homer in the seventh. It was Braun's 27th of the season and third in his last four games.
Miguel Tejada snapped an 0-for-16 slide with four hits, all singles, for Houston. Lance Berkman had two hits to give him 1,400 for his career.
Brandon Backe gave up two runs and four hits in 5 1-3 innings for Houston. He struck out five and walked four.
Dave Bush gave up four runs in five innings for the Brewers in his first start as half of a home-road platoon with Seth McClung. Under the platoon, Bush, who has a 21-12 career mark at Miller Park and 13-26 record on the road, will pitch home games, and McClung will pitch on the road.
Ray Durham, making his second start at second base since being acquired from the San Francisco Giants on Sunday, helped Milwaukee get off to a fast start. He doubled in the first and third and scored on Braun sacrifice flies.
Houston took the lead with a three-run third. Tejada hit a leadoff single and scored on Carlos Lee's 23rd homer. Lee extended his hitting streak to 11 games with the drive, and he has reached base in 23 straight.
Hunter Pence added his 13th homer to make it 3-2.
The Astros added another run in the fifth on Berkman's RBI single.
Associated Press
From left, Milwaukee Brewers Corey Hart, Ryan Braun and Gabe Kapler celebrate Saturday after the Brew Crew beat the Houston Astros.
