Welcome to Saturday Scorecard, the most exciting 10 minutes in sports:

Reason No. 419 to like the 2007 Brewers: With a 2-0 lead over Pittsburgh Tuesday night at Miller Park, Milwaukee got a leadoff single from Corey Hart, who took second on a base hit by Tony Graffanino. Claudio Vargas' sacrifice moved the runners up. Pirates starter Paul Maholm walked Rickie Weeks to load the bases, but J.J. Hardy struck out on a breaking ball for the second out. Prince Fielder worked the count to 3-2 before drawing a run-scoring walk. Reliever Marty McCleary struck out Bill Hall on a nasty slider to end the inning.

Bases loaded. One out. The Brewers got only one run. In past years, they may have wallowed in misery and failed to generate another scoring chance. On Friday, they went on to pound out seven more runs over the next three innings.

"I think that's a sign of depth," said Hardy, who was 4 for 5 with a homer, three RBI and two runs scored and stretched his hitting streak to 15 games. "We can have an inning like that and it's not the end of the game for us.

"It still bugs us (when we don't get runners in), but the fact that we can go out there and do it next inning makes it a lot easier to take."

In winning five of their last six games, the Brewers have outscored their opponents, 37-8. 

Said reliever Matt Wise: "That is impressive. We've got guys hitting the ball hard."

Friendly advice: The attendance on Friday night was 40,190 and the Brewers are expecting big crowds Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. Bottom line: if you are planning to attend a weekend game this year, it's a good idea to buy your tickets in advance. The bobblehead giveaways on Friday are popular and Saturday is traditionally the busiest night at the park. If the Brewers stay competitive, the days of deciding to go to a ballgame an hour before the first pitch may be over.

Hot topic: In the wake of Josh Hancock's death, in what is being reported as a drunk driving accident, the St. Louis Cardinals have banned beer from the home clubhouse and several clubs are considering following their lead.

The Brewers don't plan to do that, but manager Ned Yost pointed out before the game that modern players don't sit around the clubhouse, drink and play cards for hours like they did a generation ago.

Under general manager Sal Bando in the 1990s, the Brewers did not allow beer in the clubhouse. Under Dean Taylor, it was limited to two cases for the entire team, roughly two beers per player. General manager Doug Melvin said the team does not have a limit, but that most players leave home games with their families and don't overstep their limits.

This is a tough situation for baseball, particularly the Brewers, who play in a stadium named after a brewery, have Bernie Brewer for a mascot and encourage pre-game tailgating and play "Roll out the Barrel" every night during the seventh-inning stretch.

Nobody in the clubhouse would say it on the record, but several people in the organization wonder how many hundreds -- if not thousands -- of fans that leave the ballpark every night are impaired.

Mark your calendars: Everything at this point is tentative, but our spies tell us that the long-awaited basketball matchup between Marquette and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee will take place Dec. 1 at the Bradley Center (Nov. 30 is a possible alternate date). The Panthers are expected to play host to the Wisconsin Badgers on Dec. 12 at U.S. Cellular Arena.

Throw him the damn ball! A lot of Packers fans are wondering "Why should Green Bay bother signing Keyshawn Johnson?" A better question: "Why not?" He's not going to cost a lot of money and he might be able to catch a few balls over the middle. (He had 70 catches last year for Carolina). Can he be worse than Rod Gardner?

Puncher's chance: The people who promote (and watch) pay-per-view boxing matches are hoping for a close battle between Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather, Jr. Why? They need a rematch. Can you think of another big fight on the horizon? De La Hoya vs. Felix Trinidad? It only works for De La Hoya wins on Saturday.

Post time: The pre-game show skews a bit over the top, but the Kentucky Derby is still worth watching. The field is wide open, with superstar trainers Bob Baffert, D. Wayne Lukas and Nick Zito all absent. A chance of rain could make it a muddy race. We like Nobiz like Showbiz, but don't take that the to the window. And, stay away from the mint juleps. They taste like kerosene.

Sunday drive: Racing fans can take a spin on the legendary Milwaukee Mile oval during the "Drive the Mile" promotion which runs from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Sunday. For $15 and two non-perishable food items, fans can drive three laps around the track.

Enter at Gate 1 at 79th St. and West Greenfield Ave. After finishing three laps, drivers can pose for pictures, check out a classic car show and purchase food and refreshments.

Participants must be 18 years old, have a valid drivers license and present proof of insurance. And, don't think you'll be able to crank it up toward 100 mph, because you won't.

Minor trade: The Brewers sent minor-league catcher J.D. Closser to Oakland Friday for left-handed hitting outfielder Charles Thomas.

Help wanted: The Nationals, who enter tonight with a hideous 9-20 record, will get some reinforcements next week when they come to Miller Park. Shortstop Cristian Guzman, out with a hamstring injury since opening day, will return to the disabled list. That move will bump Felipe Lopez from short to second and former Brewers infielder Ronnie Belliard to the bench. Right-hander Jason Simontacchi will return on Tuesday.

In the Hall: Congratulations to the new members of the UWM Athletics Hall of Fame.
Ronald Kurtz, Jennifer Greger, Brian Tompkins and Kim (Rosenberg) Farrow will be inducted during ceremonies May 6 at the Hilton Milwaukee City Center.

Kurtz, who excelled in track and cross country, has coached for more than three decades in the West Allis / West Milwaukee School District. Greger, a basketball standout, was a three-time Panthers MVP named 1997 Midwestern Collegiate Conference player of the year. Tompkins, who coaches soccer at Yale University, was an assistant to Bob Gansler and had a solid seven-year run as head coach of the Panthers men's teams. Farrow, who starred in high school at Wisconsin Lutheran, was a standout in volleyball and track.

A different Hall: Former Packers Robert Brooks and LeRoy Butler are to be inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame on July 21 in the Lambeau Field Atrium. Tickets for the banquet are $110 each. To purchase tickets, call Gwen Borga at (920) 965-6984, or e-mail her at gborga@packerhalloffame.org. Packers radio announcer Wayne Larrivee will emcee the function.

Good work: The "Lady Bucks," a group of wives of Bucks coaches, players and employees, raised more than $15,000 in cash and 376 pounds of infant formula as part of the "Bucks Formula Fastbreak" initiative, which was a benefit for the Hunger Task Force of Wisconsin and Piggly Wiggly.

Ride on: Lance Armstrong's upcoming appearance at the Trek 100 is creating a big buzz about the event, which is to be held June 2. The Trek 100 is the premier event for the MACC Fund and has raised more than $6 million for pediatric cancer research.

The Trek 100 will begin and end at Waukesha County Technical College, which is located two minutes from Highway 94 in Pewaukee. The event is organized to be fun, yet challenging for riders of all levels who can select the 100-, 62-, 32- or 14-mile route option. All routes lead to a great experience. The entry fee is $35 per rider and includes a great t-shirt, pre-ride breakfast, lunch and post-ride festivities. Registration is limited to 3,500 participants. Entry brochures are available through local Trek dealers or by calling the MACC Fund office at (800) 248-TREK.