Mon May 12 11:22:19 2008

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Brewers to wrap up series with slumping Cards

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(Sports Network) - The Milwaukee Brewers seem to have found their winning ways as they wrap up a four-game series versus the NL Central-rival St. Louis Cardinals tonight at Miller Park.

The Brewers have won two of the first three matchups in this series following consecutive three-game sweeps at the hands of Houston and Florida. In Sunday's 5-3 victory over the Cards, Ryan Braun clubbed a pair of home runs and J.J. Hardy recorded three hits with an RBI.

Milwaukee starter Jeff Suppan gave up one run on six hits with four strikeouts and a season-high five walks in seven innings to record the win.

The Brewers will wrap up their seven-game homestand with a three-game set versus the Los Angeles Dodgers later this week.

Dave Bush gets the start this evening for the Brewers and is struggling mightily on the season, as he sports an 0-4 mark with a 6.98 ERA in six games (5 starts).

Bush last pitched on Wednesday at Florida, surrendering six runs and five hits in six innings of a 6-2 loss. He had posted two straight no decisions before losing in Miami.

The right-hander faced St. Louis on April 15 at Busch Stadium and was handed the loss in a 6-1 defeat. Bush gave up three runs and six hits over six frames, falling to 1-4 with a 6.98 earned run average through five career appearances against the Cardinals.

St. Louis has dropped four of five games and fell to 3-4 on an eight-game road trip with Sunday's setback. Ryan Ludwick homered while Chris Duncan and Troy Glaus both finished with a pair of hits in a losing cause. Duncan also knocked in a run.

Cards starter Braden Looper was rocked for four runs on seven hits over six innings to absorb the loss.

Adam Wainwright will try to do a much better job on Monday, when he puts his 3-1 record and 2.25 ERA in seven starts on the line. Wainwright is 2-0 over his previous five trips to the mound, but hasn't factored in the outcome of his last two outings.

Against Colorado on Wednesday at Coors Field, Wainwright pitched seven shutout innings and yielded four hits in a 4-3 victory. He has faced Milwaukee twice this season and is 1-0 with a 1.84 earned run average -- both wins -- for the Cardinals.

The righty is 2-1 with a 2.02 ERA in 11 career games (4 starts) against Milwaukee.

St. Louis is 32-23 in this series since the start of the 2005 campaign.