(Best E Casino) - The Milwaukee Brewers are the hottest team in baseball right now and will shoot for their ninth straight win tonight in the opener of a three-game series versus the Houston Astros at Miller Park.

Milwaukee has ripped off eight straight wins to pull within one game of the Chicago Cubs for NL Central supremacy. It kept its winning ways intact with a four-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals, including a 4-3 triumph on Thursday in the series finale at Busch Stadium.

Ryan Braun clubbed a two-run homer with one out in the top of the ninth inning to lift the Brewers, who also swept San Francisco in three games before taking on the division-rival Cardinals. Braun finished 4-for-4 with a walk, while J.J. Hardy was 3-for-5 and scored twice. Prince Fielder went 2-for-3 with two walks and a run scored in the winning effort.

Starter Ben Sheets gave up three runs -- two earned -- on four hits in seven innings in a no-decision. Eric Gagne tossed a scoreless eighth inning to pick up the win.

Milwaukee, which will also host the Cubs on this homestand, will send Manny Parra to the mound on Friday. Parra is unbeaten over his last 14 outings and has won eight consecutive decisions in that time. He last pitched on Sunday at San Francisco, hurling 7 2/3 innings of two-run ball in a 7-4 win.

Parra, who is 5-0 at home this season, owns a 2-1 record and a 6.46 earned run average in three career starts against Houston.

Houston has lost four in a row and was just swept in three games by the Pittsburgh Pirates. In Wednesday's 8-7 setback to the Bucs at Minute Maid Park, Mark Loretta went 3-for-5 with two RBI for the Astros. Kaz Matsui homered, drew three walks and scored three times, while Brad Ausmus added an RBI double in defeat.

Astros reliever Geoff Geary was tagged for two runs in two innings for the loss on Wednesday. Starter Brian Moehler was rocked for six runs -- five earned -- on nine hits in just 2 1/3 innings of work.

Wandy Rodriguez gets the call for the Astros on Friday, and he is 5-3 with a 3.31 ERA this season. Rodriguez has won two straight starts and is unbeaten (3-0) over his past six trips to the hill.

Rodriguez is 2-4 with a 5.02 earned run average in 10 career games (9 starts) against Milwaukee.

The Brewers are 5-4 against the Astros this season, with a 3-0 record at Miller Park.