Brewers pound Astros to complete sweep

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06/01/2008 - Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dave Bush threw seven stellar innings to lead the Milwaukee Brewers to a 10-1 victory over the Houston Astros to complete a three-game sweep.

Russell Branyan and Ryan Braun each hit two-run homers, while Craig Counsell was 2-for-4 with a two-run double for Milwaukee, which is 5-1 thus far on its nine-game homestand. The Brewers have won six of their last seven contests.

The Brewers started five bench players -- Branyan, Counsell, Mike Rivera, Joe Dillon and Gabe Kapler -- who combined to go 8-for-19 with seven RBI.

After yielding a first inning home run, Bush (2-5) retired 17 of 19 including 11 straight at one point. He allowed four hits, fanned five and didn't walk a batter.

Mark Loretta provided Houston's only offense with his first home run of the season. Shawn Chacon (2-1) lasted just one inning and allowed four runs on two hits.

The Astros have lost five in a row on their nine-game road trip and were outscored 19-3 during the sweep at Miller Park.

The Brewers responded to Loretta's homer with four runs, sparked by a bizarre play in the bottom of the first.

With two outs and runners on first and second, Corey Hart hit a grounder to shortstop and beat the throw to first by Miguel Tejada. Braun raced home from second on the play as Houston first baseman Lance Berkman, thinking Hart was out, headed toward the Astros dugout.

Chacon then walked Branyan to load the bases before hitting Rivera with a pitch to force in Prince Fielder. Counsell capped the rally with a first-pitch double to right-center, scoring Branyan and Hart.

Chacon was replaced by Jack Cassel, who kept the Brewers close until their six-run fourth. Dillon was hit by a pitch to begin the inning and scored on a Kapler triple to center. Braun followed with his 15th homer of the season to make it 7-1. Fielder reached first on an error from Cassell and Branyan blasted a one-out homer, his third since being recalled from the minors, to give Milwaukee an eight-run lead.

A one-out single by Rivera chased Cassel from the game. Counsell greeted Wesley Wright with another single before back-to-back walks by Dillon and Kapler capped Milwaukee's scoring.

Julian Tavarez allowed one hit in a scoreless eighth and Mark DiFelice retired the side in order in the ninth.

Game Notes

This was the longest Houston had gone without getting swept to begin a season in franchise history...Berkman had one double and has 21 and 40 extra-base hits for the season...It was Braun's Bobblehead Day. His 15 homers and .297 batting average lead the team...Houston is worst in the National League with 83 home runs allowed...Milwaukee sold out the game for the ninth time this year...Attendance was 44,613, the 10th largest crowd in Brewers history.

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After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.

Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.

Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.

So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.

In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.

For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.

The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.

The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.

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