Adames' big day, Houser's return lift Brewers out of funk

SAN FRANCISCO -- For the first time in more than a week, the unmistakable sounds of exultation streamed from under the door to the Brewers' clubhouse as they snapped a six-game skid, salvaging the series with a 7-3 win over the Giants on Sunday afternoon.

That changed the tune of Milwaukee's road trip out west, both figuratively and literally.

Kid Cudi had been blasting from the speakers, but Jesse Winker passed through the middle of the clubhouse and declared the team needed a new song. He took matters into his own hands, and a few moments later, the opening notes of "Tiny Dancer" filled the air.

"1-0 when we play Elton John," Winker said as he walked off.

Whatever it takes to put the losing streak in the past, right? Needless to say, the Brewers are looking forward to turning the page.

"Obviously, not a good trip," manager Craig Counsell said. "But we salvaged it with a nice game today."

Throughout the slump, it felt at times as if the team was holding its collective breath, waiting for something -- a win, for one, but there was more hanging in the balance. A century mark on the line for Willy Adames. The return of reliable arm Adrian Houser.

On Sunday, one by one, all of those things came to fruition.

In their first two games in San Francisco, the Brewers didn't have an issue getting the bat on the ball -- but they did struggle to hit for power and string together knocks. Heading into Sunday, Milwaukee's only extra-base hit of the series was William Contreras' leadoff double on Friday.

Fittingly, none other than Contreras got the Crew's second extra-base hit of the weekend when he launched a two-run homer off right-hander Ross Stripling in the second inning on Sunday. But history repeated itself when the Giants wasted no time in tying the game in the bottom half of the frame, just as they had done on Friday.

That's where the similarities to the series opener stopped. The Brewers added on five runs, four of which were driven in by Adames.

The cherry on top? The 100th home run of Adames' career, a two-run no-doubter to the left-field bleachers.

"I feel like it's just the first step of a great milestone," Adames said. "I'm really grateful for the opportunity of being here, and hopefully I can continue to hit a lot more."

The Brewers shortstop had been sitting on 99 career home runs since April 28, which was right in the middle of his prolonged funk at the plate. Adames entered the series in an 0-for-18 stretch but hit safely in all three games in San Francisco, as his confidence in his process finally translated to results.

"Stay with it, stick with it and execute it," he said.

Once the Brewers retook a lead, Houser did not relinquish it. He left the game with two on and two outs, but Hoby Milner stranded the Giants' runners with a punchout of Joc Pederson.

Joel Payamps, Peter Strzelecki and Devin Williams followed suit in a solid afternoon for the bullpen, though Williams -- who had not appeared in a game since April 29 -- gave up his first run of the season when he served up a homer to red-hot Thairo Estrada in the bottom of the ninth.

All in all, Houser allowed two runs on seven hits over 4 2/3 innings, striking out five against one walk. His final line wasn't spectacular, but he got the job done after missing the first month of the season with a right groin strain.

"I didn't know how much of a leash I would be on or anything," Houser said. "I just wanted to try to stay in the game, keep the boys in the game and go as long as I could."

In an odd turn of events, the Brewers picked up a game on the first-place Pirates despite going 1-5 against the Rockies and Giants. It's been a tough week across the National League Central, as Milwaukee and its divisional rivals have combined to go 7-24 in the early days of May.

Hence the almost unthinkable outcome of losing six straight and moving up in the standings, though there is a lot of baseball remaining on the calendar.

Getting out of Denver wasn't the answer to breaking out of their funk, but perhaps a return to Milwaukee will set the Brewers back on the right path.