Three up

A good effort: With all the talk in these parts about off days between starts, it should be noted that Yovani Gallardo went 146 days between starts. Of course, most of that 4½-month period was spent rehabbing a right knee that underwent ACL surgery. In his first appearance since the surgery, Gallardo went four innings and allowed just a home run to Steve Pearce in the fourth.

Fielder extends streak: It looked like an iffy hit to extend a hitting streak to 15 games when Prince Fielder reached on an infield hit in the fourth, a play that second baseman Freddy Sanchez would have made if he hadn't slipped on his plant foot to make the throw. But Fielder took the "if'' out of the streak his next time up, lining a single to center.

Thankful fans: Reliever Eric Gagne was greeted with cheers rather than boos when he entered in the seventh, probably because he footed the bill Thursday for 5,000 tickets. Gagne, of course, was booed when he issued a two-out walk to Brian Bixler, but the cheers returned when he struck out Zach Duke to end the inning.

Three down

Mother Nature's in control: The subtropical storm roaring up the East Coast could present some serious scheduling problems down the stretch. The forecast in New York is for rain through Sunday with a chance for thunderstorms on Monday, something that puts in peril the New York Mets' weekend series against the Florida Marlins, let alone a possible one-game playoff for the NL wild card bid. "It could turn into a big mess,'' Brewers manager Dale Sveum said.

Slip slidin' away: Both second baseman struggled with some slick turf in the outfield just beyond the infield dirt. Freddy Sanchez of the Pirates slipped when he planted to make a throw to first on Fielder's single in the fourth. Rickie Weeks slipped, as well, trying to reach Zach Duke's single in the fifth.

Stuck in the middle: Corey Hart was on first and Fielder on third in the fourth when Hart took off to steal second. Hart got caught in a rundown, but the back and forth action trying to get Hart still was not enough to allow Fielder to sneak his way home from third.