HOUSTON - Johnny Estrada hit his second grand slam of the
season against Houston and Milwaukee beat the Astros 9-1. Coupled
with the Chicago Cubs' loss, the win moves the Brewers into first
place in the NL Central by less than one percentage point.
Claudio Vargas is 11-and-4 with the win. He pitched four
scoreless innings in relief of Ben Sheets, who left with tightness
in his left hamstring after giving up a run in the first. The
Brewers said Sheets would be evaluated on Wednesday and his status
was uncertain for his next scheduled start, in Atlanta on Sunday.
Ryan Braun added a two-run homer. Prince Fielder stretched his
hitting streak to 16 games with an RBI single for the Brewers. The
Astros have dropped 10 of 13.