Sports Network | August 28, 2010
(Sports Network) - Former staff ace Chris Capuano makes his third start of the season tonight, when the Milwaukee Brewers host the Pittsburgh Pirates in the middle game of three over the weekend at Miller Park.
Alcides Escobar's two-run triple sparked a six-run seventh inning on Friday as the Brewers took a 7-2 win.
Ryan Braun and Corey Hart each drove in two runs, while Jonathan Lucroy scored twice and drove in one for the Brewers, who snapped a four-game slide.
Chris Narveson (10-7) worked seven innings and was charged with two runs on seven hits with a walk and eight strikeouts to get the win.
Chris Snyder hit a solo home run and Ronny Cedeno drove in the other run for the Pirates, who had won three of four coming in.
James McDonald (2-4) was charged with six runs on seven hits with two walks and seven strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings in the loss.
Meanwhile, Capuano was an 18-game winner for Milwaukee in 2005 and followed that campaign with 11 wins a year later before skidding to just five wins in 2007. He did not make a single big-league appearance in 2008-09.
He returned to the Brewers with a June 3 start at Florida and dropped a 3-2 decision and has since made one start and 15 trips in from the bullpen, compiling an overall 3.72 earned run average in 29 innings.
The 6-foot-2, 224-pounder has not been scored upon in his last three relief outings, allowing no hits and striking out seven batters over 5 2/3 innings against Colorado, San Diego and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
He faced the Pirates three times in July and was 1-0, while surrendering four hits and a run in 6 1/3 innings.
For Pittsburgh, Zach Duke aims for a second straight win for the third time this season.
The 27-year-old won two straight games from April 5 and 10, then repeated the feat on July 21 and 27, including a 15-3 rout of the Brewers.
He was a winner over the New York Mets in his most recent start on Aug. 22, allowing five hits and a run in seven innings.
Duke is 4-7 in 16 career meetings with Milwaukee with a 6.10 ERA.