MILWAUKEE – Carlos Lee homered and drove in four runs and Victor Santos stopped his four-game losing streak, leading the Milwaukee Brewers over the Colorado Rockies 6-1 Tuesday night.

Santos (2-4) allowed one run and six hits in six innings, striking out six in his first win at Miller Park since Sept. 21.

After going 0-3 this month despite a 3.00 ERA and four straight quality starts, Santos finally got some run support. Lee staked him to an early three-run cushion when he connected off rookie left-hander Jeff Francis (4-2) in the first inning, sending a 1-0 pitch high into the left-field stands for his 10th homer.

Francis, who had been impressive in winning three straight starts, never recovered.

After Brad Hawpe’s solo home run made it 3-1 in the fourth, J.J. Hardy’s second double of the night scored Damian Miller and Wes Helms to give Milwaukee a 5-1 lead in the bottom half.

Clint Barmes and Todd Helton each snapped 0-for-17 skids with fifth-inning singles, but Santos got Matt Holliday to chase a third strike in the dirt to end the inning. Milwaukee extended its lead to 6-1 in the bottom half when Jeff Cirillo walked, stole his first base of the season and scored on a single by Lee, who drove in four runs for the fourth time this season.

Helms, filling in at first base with Lyle Overbay out for a second straight night due to a bruised shin, also doubled twice off Francis.

Francis allowed six earned runs and nine hits in 5 1-3 innings, his worst outing since April 8 at San Francisco, when he yielded six runs and eight hit in four innings.

Notes: The Brewers have won 11 of their last 14 at home. … Brewers ace Ben Sheets will get his final exam Wednesday with a bullpen session. If successful, he could return to the rotation Saturday against Houston. He’s been out since April 21 with an inner ear inflammation. … Rockies RHP Shawn Chacon will test his sprained right ankle on the side Wednesday in hopes of being able to make his next start, against the Cubs on Saturday. X-rays were negative Tuesday. He was injured Monday night while returning to first base on a pickoff throw by Chris Capuano.

AP-ES-05-24-05 2255EDT


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