W: Yovani Gallardo (9-8)
L: Dallas Keuchel (1-4)
HR: Aramis Ramirez (13), Corey Hart (20), Chris Snyder (5)
MVP: Aramis Ramirez (+.232)
LVP: Corey Hart (-.054)
The Brewers won one game in a ten day stretch between July 20-29, then won back-to-back immediately after. They're going to miss the Astros next year.
The Brewers scored runs in the first, second, third and fifth innings tonight to jump out to an 8-1 lead, and for once they never looked back. They blew the game open with Aramis Ramirez's three run homer in the third, and put it a little closer to out of reach when Corey Hart hit another in the fifth.
Meanwhile, Yovani Gallardo was great again tonight, holding the Astros to a run (a solo homer) on three hits and a walk over seven innings. Despite what had to be a strong temptation to leave him in the Brewers lifted him after 101 pitches.
No lead is safe lately with the Brewer bullpen, but a seven run lead is pretty close. Jim Henderson loaded the bases but pitched a scoreless eighth, and Francisco Rodriguez (after the Brewers expanded the lead in the ninth) retired the side in order to finish it off.
Speaking of the ninth, both Jerry Narron and Ron Roenicke were ejected by home plate umpire Brian Knight for arguing balls and strikes with a nine run lead in the inning.
Ryan Braun was back in the lineup tonight and went 1-for-2 with a pair of walks after missing Monday's game with a blister on his left hand. He was, however, lifted for a pinch hitter in the eighth inning.
This series wraps up tomorrow with a matinee, as Jordan Lyles takes on Mike Fiers at 1:10.