(My Sportsbook) - The Milwaukee Brewers couldn't have thought of a better time to play the Pittsburgh Pirates. Trailing by a slim margin for the National League's Wild Card, Milwaukee tries for its 10th straight win over Pittsburgh tonight in the opener of a three-game series at Miller Park.

The Brewers are coming off a much-needed win on Sunday that helped them inch closer to the NL Wild Card-leading New York Mets. Milwaukee then made up even more ground on Monday despite being idle, as New York was bested by the Chicago Cubs. That loss moved the Brew Crew to within a game for the NL's final playoff spot.

While the Mets are battling NL Central champion Chicago, the Brewers host the Pirates, a club they have beaten in nine straight and 11 of 12 games this year. Milwaukee, which defeated Pittsburgh in 10 of 16 meetings last year, owns a 14-1 record versus the Pirates at home over the last two years.

Sunday's 8-1 win over the Reds was just Milwaukee's fifth win in 20 September games. Despite their struggles this month, first baseman Prince Fielder is in a nice groove, as he homered and drove in three runs on Sunday.

The reigning NL Player of the Week is on a 12-game hitting streak and is batting .435 (20-for-46) with five homers and 15 RBI over the run. However, Fielder is hitting just .240 (12-for-50) with no homers, six RBI and 13 strikeouts in 12 games versus the Pirates this year.

He went hitless in three at-bats when he faced Jeff Karstens on August 31, and gets another crack at the righty tonight.

After winning his first two starts in a Pittsburgh uniform, Karstens has lost each of his last six starts while posting a 6.53 earned run average in that span.

That includes a loss to Milwaukee, as he allowed three runs on five hits over 6 1/3 innings in his first-ever start against them. The 26-year-old former Yankee was last in action this past Tuesday and yielded five runs on 11 hits over five innings of a loss, though just two of those runs were earned.

With Ben Sheets out due to right elbow tendinitis, Dave Bush will start for the Brewers tonight.

Bush has allowed just seven runs over his last three starts -- totaling 19 innings -- but hasn't factored into the decision of any of those outings. He faced the Cubs on Thursday and allowed just a pair of solo homers and two walks over five innings.

The 28-year-old righty is 9-10 with a 4.22 ERA this season and 3-4 with a 4.61 ERA in 10 games (9 starts) lifetime versus the Pirates. Bush posted back-to- back wins over Pittsburgh on August 22 and 29.

The Pirates begin a season-ending six-game road trip tonight and are 26-49 as the visitor. They closed out home play on Sunday, losing to the Houston Astros, 6-2.

Ross Ohlendorf, in his fourth start with Pittsburgh since coming over from the Yankees, yielded four runs on 10 hits and two walks in five innings for the Pirates, who have lost three of four. Ryan Doumit had three hits with a run scored in the loss.