They haven't won back-to-back series in more than two months and their ace has not won back-to-back decisions all season. But in this year's National League, a 7-1 win over the Rockies on Wednesday night and a strong outing by Sheets -- not to mention earlier losses by St. Louis and Cincinnati -- were good enough to leave the Brewers feeling good about the final five weeks of their season.

"We're in it," manager Ned Yost said. "But the key to everything is that we have to win ballgames. That's first and foremost. We can look at the scoreboard all we want right now, but if we don't take care of business every night on that field, it doesn't matter.

"If we keep taking care of our business like we've done here the last couple of nights, we'll be in good shape."

The Brewers are ensured at least a series win over the Rockies and a third consecutive non-losing series. Those may be baby steps, but they at least are steps in the right direction for a team that has not won more than two straight games since a four-game run July 3-6 and has not won consecutive series since June 12-18.

The Brewers have a chance to sweep the series on Wednesday, something they have not done since taking three straight from the Indians from June 16-18.

With the Reds' loss Wednesday to the Astros, the Brewers are 4 1/2 games out of the National League Wild Card, but they're looking up at five teams. The Cardinals' loss to the Mets meant the Brewers are 5 1/2 games out of the division lead with just two teams in the way. Milwaukee has won five of its last seven games.

"We're not out of it, but I don't think we're playing like we're scoreboard watching, either," Sheets said. "You're not going to make the playoffs under .500, so I think our main goal is to get there. But we still think there's a shot. We're still going for it, but I think we realize we need to put together something bigger than three in a row or three out of five."

Sheets (4-5), whose velocity dropped dramatically in his last start, was in command from his first pitch Wednesday, allowing one run on six hits. He struck out seven, did not walk a batter and the only blemish came on a two-strike RBI double by losing pitcher Byung-Hyun Kim (7-9) with one out in the fifth.

Still, it was a major improvement over his last start against the Rockies. That came last Aug. 15, when Sheets followed up three consecutive nine-inning outings with an 11-2 loss at Coors Field, in which he surrendered 10 runs and 13 hits in six innings.

And it certainly was better than Sheets' start six days ago against the Astros, when his fastball sat in the 88-92 mph range and he was tagged for seven runs and 10 hits.

Why was his four-seamer so much better on Wednesday?

"Because I used it," he said emphatically. "They say use it or lose it, and that's true."

Yost insisted he wasn't worried.

"It was just one of those games," Yost said, referring to Sheets' struggles against Houston. "I've seen it too many times. Every pitcher is not going to have his greatest stuff every night, but the key to being a great pitcher is finding ways to get through it. Ben was good and sharp tonight.

"It's a big difference when you've got a 96 mph fastball, compared to a 90 mph fastball. He used it very effectively tonight."

Sheets pitched seven innings for the third straight start and won for the second time in that span.

He did it by getting back to basics, going with a four-seam fastball that sat consistently at 95-96 mph, his signature curveball and an occasional changeup. Sheets scrapped the cut fastball that he has been tinkering with this season.

"I pitched more aggressively," Sheets said. "Like I said, I was going to ditch some of that other stuff to get my good stuff going, and I think that's what I did. I didn't start in the mid-90s, just like normal, but I got it going. That's always been me. ... I'm not a 'cute' pitcher."

The offense provided plenty of support against Kim, who remained winless in his four starts since beating the Brewers at Coors Field on Aug. 2. Kim walked the first two batters he faced in the first inning. Prince Fielder cashed in with an RBI single, and Bill Hall followed with a sacrifice fly for a lead Milwaukee would not relinquish.

Gabe Gross and Tony Graffanino scored two runs apiece, and Graffanino and Fielder each drove in a pair of runs. The Brewers broke open the game with a four-run fifth inning, when Graffanino delivered a two-out, two-run double and Fielder followed with a single that made it 6-1. Jeff Cirillo hit a solo home run off reliever Ramon Ramirez in the sixth.

"Even though we didn't get a ton of hits, we made the most of the hits we got," Yost said.

Graffanino has provided a boost since coming to Milwaukee in the week leading up to the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. He has reached safely in 23 of his 25 games played and is hitting .333 with 14 runs scored and 10 RBIs as a Brewer.

Graffanino also made a slick defensive play that helped Sheets out of a fourth-inning jam, but he preferred to put the spotlight on the starter.

"If we're going to go make a good run at this, we're going to need Sheets," Graffanino said. "He threw the ball great today. We'd like to keep him just the way he is and see him go out there every five days and throw just like that."

Like Chris Capuano on Tuesday night, Sheets faced a fourth-inning escape act. With Milwaukee clinging to a 2-0 lead, Colorado put runners at second and third with no outs on a pair of singles and a throwing error by left fielder Gross.

Like Capuano, Sheets wiggled out of trouble without allowing a ball out of the infield. He got Matt Holliday on a popup to second base, struck out Brad Hawpe and retired Yorvit Torrealba on a weak grounder to first base. That sent the Brewers on the way to the win.