Brewers can't capitalize on Houser's stellar start

ST. PETERSBURG -- Adrian Houser stepped up. So did his defenders. But if the Brewers are going to persevere with a starting rotation stretched dangerously thin by injuries, a couple of runs would help.

The Brewers didn’t get them Friday night in a 1-0 loss to the best-in-baseball Rays at Tropicana Field despite the best efforts of Houser, who delivered six scoreless innings while Tampa Bay ace Shane McClanahan became the latest lefty to bedevil Milwaukee’s hitters. The Brewers haven’t scored in their past 21 innings, including back-to-back shutouts in games started by southpaws.

“Obviously, you need to score more,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said.

McClanahan had a lot to do with that, scattering six hits over seven scoreless innings on just 83 pitches. But Houser matched that performance for six innings in the best of his three starts this season -- just when the Brewers needed it.

Earlier in the day, Milwaukee learned that steady lefty Wade Miley would miss six to eight weeks with a strained muscle near his shoulder. That’s on top of losing All-Star starter Brandon Woodruff until late June at the earliest, and left-hander Aaron Ashby until perhaps September. The Brewers had briefly moved another lefty, Eric Lauer, to the bullpen with hopes it would help him get through a rough patch, but now he’s needed back in the rotation. Lauer will start against the Rays on Saturday afternoon.

“We are stretching our depth. I think that would be a good way to put it,” Brewers general manager Matt Arnold said. “But I think we’ve had a lot of guys step up over the course of the season. And we’re going to have to continue to have guys throughout our system, and who are currently on our team, continue to step up so we can get through this.”

Said Counsell: “Injuries are part of the baseball season. It doesn’t really do any good to have a ‘woe is us’ reaction to them. Other guys have to step up and take their spots and perform, and we’ll do our best to get them back as quickly and safely as possible. That’s how it works for every other team, too.”

Houser delivered the sort of start the Brewers needed, with a couple of notable defensive assists. In the third inning with runners at the corners and one out, Mike Brosseau, Willy Adames and William Contreras combined for an unconventional inning-ending double play, getting Jose Siri for the final out between third and home before Contreras fired the baseball into the upper deck in celebration.

And in the fourth with Randy Arozarena on first, Brandon Lowe singled to right fielder Tyrone Taylor, who threw out Arozarena at third when Arozarena briefly lost contact with the bag while sliding. Houser retired seven of the eight hitters he faced after that.

Brewers hitters, meanwhile, delivered regular hard contact against McClanahan with nothing to show for it. There were eight balls in play north of a 95 mph exit velocity, including 400-foot-plus flyouts for Taylor in the fifth inning (106.8 mph) and Brian Anderson in the seventh (104.5 mph). Both were run down in center field by Siri.

“Being in a pitchers’ duel is always fun,” Houser said. “For me, being a little bit of an old-school baseball guy, that’s real baseball right there. You get into it, and you’re head to head with one of the best guys. That’s a lot of fun.”

The Rays won with a lone run in the eighth on a hit batter, a stolen base coupled with Contreras’ throwing error and a sacrifice fly. The margin for error was that thin.

Asked how the Brewers would stay afloat with an injury-depleted rotation, Houser said, “You just have to. It’s just something that we have to come together on and lean on each other more and fight and get through this tough part for us right here.”

The Brewers’ starting pitching depth includes Colin Rea at Triple-A Nashville; he has a 5.52 ERA in 31 Major League innings this year. Wisconsin native Caleb Boushley has been effective at Triple-A the past two seasons, but he isn’t on the 40-man roster. Neither is Robert Gasser, Milwaukee’s No. 7 prospect per MLB Pipeline who has had some trouble with command this season but is an option should the Brewers need to dip into the Minors for another starter.

Has it reached the point where the Brewers need to add from the outside?

“I think we’re always looking for upgrades, whether they are internal or external,” Arnold said.

But is that ratcheted up given all of their recent personnel losses?

“I don’t think necessarily, no,” Arnold said. “We’re always on the lookout. Our staff is always looking to make upgrades to our team.”