Corey Hart drives in 3 to snap slump and Brewers top White Sox 7-2

Hart drives in 3 to lead Brewers to win

MILWAUKEE — Struggling Corey Hart drove in three runs on a double and a triple and saved two more with a diving catch for the Milwaukee Brewers, who rallied to beat the Chicago White Sox 7-2 Friday night.

The win snapped Milwaukee’s four-game losing streak even though the Brewers have stayed in first place in the NL Central through a 4-7 stretch.

In this one, the Brewers trailed their former AL Central foes 2-0 after a run-scoring double by A.J. Pierzynski and an RBI single by Chris Getz in the fourth.

But Hart, one of four starters benched Thursday, sparked a rally in the sixth after his diving catch of Getz’s liner ended the top of the inning instead of pushing the lead to 4-0.

White Sox starter Clayton Richard, pitching on three days’ rest for the first time, scattered four hits and committed a throwing error on Prince Fielder’s dribbler to the mound to start the sixth.

Octavio Dotel came on and struck out Mike Cameron, but Hart hit a liner to left that ricocheted in the corner, allowing Fielder to score from first.

Dotel (1-2) struck out Bill Hall and intentionally walked Jason Kendall to bring up Brewers starter Jeff Suppan (5-4), who hit a bloop single to score Hart. Milwaukee made it 3-2 on Casey McGehee’s single to left.

The Brewers then blew it open in the seventh with Hart again leading the way.

After singles by Ryan Braun and Mike Cameron, Hart tripled off D.J. Carrasco and Hall, who had been 5 for 66 and also sat Thursday, singled to drive in Hart. McGehee added an RBI single to make it 7-2.

That was more than enough to pick up another solid effort by Suppan, who got the first two outs of the seventh inning before being pulled for left-hander Mitch Stetter. Suppan gave up two runs off nine hits and did not walk a batter.

NOTES: The two teams last met July 17, 2001. Chicago had won the previous six games in the series. … White Sox 1B Paul Konerko (thumb) missed Friday’s game. … White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen deferred any potential trade talks surrounding his team to GM Ken Williams. “My job is managing the people with the uniforms, and Kenny’s job is the dirty one. I’ve got the clean one,” Guillen said. “Kenny will make moves for a reason, a good one.” … Brewers GM Doug Melvin said he won’t discuss trade rumors after June 1, but noted he got a call from Boston GM Theo Epstein, who refuted a published report saying the Red Sox were interested in Hart. Melvin said he hasn’t spoken with any team about specific players nor with any available free agent.