Fielder's 3-run HR leads Brewers over Padres

[August 13, 2008]  SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Prince Fielder hit a three-run homer and Jeff Suppan pitched eight strong innings to lead the Milwaukee Brewers to their seventh straight victory, 5-2 over the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night.

Fielder hit his 27th home run to break a 1-1 tie in the fourth inning.

Suppan (8-7) gave up four hits and two runs to win his third straight start.

The win allowed the Brewers to pull within three games of first-place Chicago in the NL Central. The Cubs were rained out at Atlanta on Tuesday.

Milwaukee increased its wild-card lead over St. Louis, which lost 4-3 at Florida, to four games.

Fielder hit the first pitch from Cha Seung Baek (4-6) an estimated 399 feet down the right-field line. Baek had issued a leadoff walk to J.J. Hardy and gave up a single to Gabe Kapler.

Suppan allowed a one-out solo homer to Kevin Kouzmanoff in the second and Jody Gerut's leadoff home run in the sixth. Kouzmanoff's homer was his 18th, tying his rookie total from last year.

Suppan struck out three and walked two.

Salomon Torres pitched the ninth for his 23rd save in 27 chances.

Milwaukee's Mike Cameron hit his 19th homer leading off the third to tie the game at 1. Cameron played for the Padres the past two seasons before the club decided not to re-sign him in the offseason.

It was the first time the teams met since last season when the Brewers beat San Diego in the final two regular-season games that prevented the Padres from clinching a playoff berth. San Diego went on to lose 9-8 in 13 innings at Colorado on Oct. 1, and missed the playoffs.

With its third consecutive road win, Milwaukee raised its road record to 33-28, one away victory more than the Brewers had last season.

Baek allowed five runs and seven hits in six-plus innings. Baek continued his struggles at home as he dropped to 0-6 with a 7.04 ERA in eight appearances, including seven starts. Baek is 4-0 with a 2.81 ERA on the road in six games, including five starts.

Notes: Milwaukee is 7-0 since the dugout skirmish between Fielder and RHP Manny Parra on Aug. 4 in Cincinnati. ... Brewers LF Ben Braun (tightness in lower back) missed his third straight game. ... San Diego bench coach Craig Colbert was serving a one-game suspension for his ejection during Thursday's game at New York. ... Milwaukee (69-51) moved a season-high 18 games over .500. ... The Padres placed RHP Bryan Corey (strained left hamstring) on the DL before the game and purchased the contract of INF Sean Kazmar from Double-A San Antonio.

[Associated Press; By HOWARD ULMAN]

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