The Milwaukee Brewers go for their 10th straight win and a three-game sweep of the San Diego Padres Wednesday at Petco Park.
The Brewers have been on a tear since starting 2-8 and made it nine wins in a row with Tuesday's 6-3 triumph behind decent pitching and an 11-hit attack. Jean Segura led the offense with three hits, while Yuniesky Betancourt and Jonathan Lucroy had two RBI apiece.
Yovani Gallardo collected the win even though he was reached for three runs in 6 2/3 innings for the Brewers, who are aiming for their first 10-game winning streak since August of 2003.
"I don't know why he's out of whack like he is," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said of Gallardo. "The good thing is, if he can keep us in ballgames and win ballgames when he's struggling, it's going to be a nice thing when he gets it going."
A win Wednesday would give Milwaukee its seventh 10-game winning streak in franchise history.
Milwaukee did not homer on Tuesday, but has stroked 15 home runs in the past nine games after going deep just five times in the first 10 games. Ryan Braun is batting .273 with four homers and 12 RBI in his last six games.
Marco Estrada gets the call for the Brewers in the series finale and is 2-0 with a 4.50 earned run average in four starts. Estrada, who has allowed three runs in each of his previous two outings, lasted six innings in Friday's 5-4 win over the Chicago Cubs.
Estrada, a right-hander, is 0-1 with a 2.70 ERA in three career relief appearances against the Padres.
After visiting San Diego, the Brewers will close out their trek with three games at Dodger Stadium.
The Padres have dropped five in a row and 10 of their last 13 games. In Tuesday's loss, Clayton Richard fell to 0-2 on the season and was roughed up for six runs and six hits in only 1 2/3 innings.
"I don't think he was quite 100 percent," Padres manager Bud Black said of Richard.
Will Venable went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored and Nick Hundley added two hits in the loss. Carlos Quentin and Yonder Alonso both drove in a run for the Padres, who have lost seven in a row at home and will close out their homestand with three games versus San Francisco this weekend.
Hoping to get himself and his ballclub back in the win column Wednesday will be Edinson Volquez. The Friars' hurler is 0-3 with an 8.84 earned run average in four starts and did not receive a decision in Friday's 3-2 loss against the Giants as he tossed six innings of two-run ball and allowed eight hits.
Volquez has made 10 starts against Milwaukee in his career, going 3-3 with a 5.64 ERA.
San Diego lost five of the nine meetings with Milwaukee last season.
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