Milwaukee @ Houston preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 5, 2011 ) Milwaukee 8, Houston 1

THE STORY: Overcoming their dismal road play, the Milwaukee Brewers kept on rolling Friday with a convincing 8-1 victory over the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. The National League Central leaders enter Saturday's matchup just 22-35 away from home, a mark better than only the Astros (18-37). Milwaukee, which is three games ahead of St. Louis in the division, has won nine of its last 10 contests. Houston has lost five of seven.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee), FSN (Houston)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Brewers LH Chris Narveson (7-6, 4.39 ERA) vs. Astros RH Brett Myers (3-11, 4.65 ERA).

Narveson has won three of his last four decisions but did not figure in the outcome of a victory over Houston on Sunday, when he allowed three runs over 6 2/3 innings. The 29-year-old has struggled on the road, going 1-4 with a 4.97 ERA in 11 starts. He is 0-2 in seven career meetings with the Astros and 0-1 with a 4.97 ERA in two outings this year. Myers is winless since June 17, going 0-5 in eight starts. He also received a no-decision Sunday after yielding four runs in six innings at Milwaukee. The 30-year-old, who is 1-6 on the road this season, has gone 0-1 with a 5.89 ERA in three starts against the Brewers in 2011.

ABOUT THE ASTROS (37-75): Houston purchased the contract of J.B. Schuck from Triple-A Oklahoma City prior to Friday's game, and the outfielder made his major league debut as a defensive replacement in the fifth inning. Schuck, who was hitting .302 in the minors, singled in his first at-bat and proceeded to record his first stolen base. The single was one of Houston's four hits in the game. The Astros have won eight of their last 11 home games against Milwaukee.

ABOUT THE BREWERS (63-50): Milwaukee has collected at least 10 hits in each of its last seven contests. Yovani Gallardo's victory on Friday was his seventh in a row against Houston. He improved to 10-2 lifetime vs. the Astros. The Brewers are halfway toward clinching their first series win at Minute Maid Park in five tries. Craig Counsell had a pinch-hit single Friday, ending his 0-for-45 drought. Counsell's hitless streak was tied for the longest in a single season by a position player during the modern era, set by Brooklyn's Bill Bergen in 1909 and matched in 1973 by Dave Campbell, who spent that year with San Diego, St. Louis and Houston.

FINAL PITCH: Houston's JA Happ has allowed at least five runs in each of his last eight starts. The lefthander, who has just one win in his last 11 decisions, is the first pitcher in franchise history to accomplish the dubious feat.