Sat Aug 30 10:58:09 2008

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Suppan leads Brewers into Steel City

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(Sports Network) - Former postseason hero Jeff Suppan can pitch the Milwaukee Brewers one step closer to a playoff berth tonight, when they visit PNC Park for the middle game of a three-game series with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Brewers enter the game at 78-56 overall, giving them a 4 1/2-game lead over the division rival St. Louis Cardinals in the chase for the National League's wild card playoff berth.

Milwaukee trails the first-place Chicago Cubs in the NL Central by 6 1/2 games.

Suppan was a member of the unlikely 2006 world champion Cardinals team, winning 12 games during the regular season and playing key roles in playoff series wins over the New York Mets and Detroit Tigers.

He came to Milwaukee as a free agent in the subsequent offseason and won 12 games last season in 34 starts.

A 10-game winner with the Pirates in 2003, Suppan has faced them 20 times in his career, going 11-3 with a 4.29 earned run average over 121 2/3 innings. Suppan faced and beat Pittsburgh in his most recent outing in Milwaukee, scattering eight hits and allowing three runs in seven innings of a 6-3 triumph on August 23.

For Pittsburgh, lefty Paul Maholm faces the Brewers for the second straight start as well.

The 26-year-old product of Mississippi State met Milwaukee on August 24 at Miller Park and got a no-decision after allowing 12 hits and two runs over six innings of a 4-3 loss.

He is 2-3 lifetime against the Brewers in eight starts with a 3.63 ERA.

Maholm has not lost in four starts since August 2, while giving up 29 hits and six runs in 28 innings.

On Friday, Dave Bush went 6 2/3 innings to help the Brewers to a 3-1 win.

Bush (9-9) gave up just one run, a solo home run, on six hits with a pair of walks and strikeouts. Ryan Braun provided all the offense with a three-run homer for the Brewers, who have won six of their last seven.

Tom Gorzelanny (6-9) was tagged for three runs on four hits with a pair of walks and four strikeouts in seven innings of work for the Pirates, who have dropped a season-high eight straight games. Nate McLouth's solo home run was the lone score for Pittsburgh.

Milwaukee has won nine of its 10 matchups with the Bucs this season, including three of the four meetings in the Steel City.