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PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Braden Looper allowed four hits over seven innings and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-0 on Tuesday night.

Prince Fielder had two two-out singles that drove in Craig Counsell to account for all the offense for the Brewers (48-46), who avoided falling to .500 for the first time since May 2.

Last-place Pittsburgh, which snapped a 17-game losing streak to the Brewers on Monday, was shut out for the ninth time this season.

Looper (9-4) won his fourth consecutive decision and for the fourth time in his past five starts. He walked three -- one intentionally -- and had one strikeout.

Mike DiFelice and Mitch Stetter combined to work a perfect eighth and Trevor Hoffman earned his 22nd save in 24 opportunities by retiring the side in order in the ninth.

Fielder, whose 86 RBIs is second in the AL, lined a single down the first-base line in the fifth to drive in Counsell for the first time.

In the seventh, Fielder's liner was the team's third consecutive single after Pirates starter Virgil Vasquez had retired the inning's first two hitters.

Although Pittsburgh never advanced a runner past second base against Looper, the Pirates were only retired in order twice by him and had numerous opportunities to score.

Adam LaRoche (second inning) and Delwyn Young (fifth) both hit one-out doubles but were stranded. In the sixth, Looper walked Andrew McCutchen and Garrett Jones before two were out, but Pittsburgh's Nos. 4-5 hitters -- Ryan Doumit and LaRoche -- failed to advance them.

Vasquez (1-4) lost his fourth consecutive start since winning his Pirates debut June 26. He allowed two runs and nine hits with no walks and four strikeouts.

NOTES: Playing in only his second game with Milwaukee, 2B Felipe Lopez left in the eighth with left hamstring tightness. ... Pittsburgh entered the game with the best home batting average in the NL but went 4 for 30 Tuesday. ... The Pirates have allowed only 11 earned runs in their past 57 innings (1.73 ERA).

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)