Sep 16, 2007, 14:48 GMT
- Right-hander Carlos Villanueva makes his third straight start after a season in the bullpen for the Milwaukee Brewers today, when they close out an important three-game series with the visiting Cincinnati Reds at Miller Park.
The Brewers ended a two-game slide with a 5-3 win Saturday and are one game behind Chicago for first place in the National League's Central Division. The Cubs split a day-night doubleheader with St. Louis on Saturday.
Villanueva, a 23-year-old Dominican, is 1-1 in his last two outings, allowing 10 hits and three runs in 11 innings. One outing previous, he tossed three scoreless and hitless innings while earning a save against Arizona on Aug. 20.
He's faced Cincinnati seven times in his career, including two starts, and has allowed 16 hits and six runs in 16 1/3 innings.
The Reds' Matt Belisle is 3-0 with three no-decisions in his last six starts.
He allowed six hits and two runs in seven innings of a September 11 outing, defeating St. Louis, 7-2, in Cincinnati.
He dropped a 5-3 decision to the Brewers on July 24, allowing six hits and four runs in 3 2/3 innings.
Belisle is 1-3 with an 8.38 ERA in 11 lifetime outings - two starts - against Milwaukee.
On Saturday, Milwaukee's Prince Fielder went 2-for-3 and hit his 46th home run of the campaign, setting a new franchise record for most homers in a single season, as the Brewers held off Cincinnati, 5-3.
J.J. Hardy hit a double and home run for the Brewers.
Jeff Suppan (10-11) started for Milwaukee and gave up three runs on seven hits in 6 1/3 innings. Francisco Cordero closed things out for his 42nd save.
Adam Dunn hit a pair of doubles while Norris Hopper went 2-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI for the Reds, who had a four-game win streak snapped.
Cincinnati's Kirk Saarloos (1-5) pitched only four innings, allowing three runs on six hits in just his third start of the season.
The Reds have won eight of 14 against the Brewers this season, and took two of three when the clubs met in Milwaukee from August 17-19.
© 2007 The Sports Network
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