The emergence of Adrian Houser is giving the Milwaukee Brewers’ depleted pitching staff a big boost.
Houser allowed two hits in 5 1-3 innings and the Brewers hit three home runs in a 4-0 win over the Houston Astros on Wednesday. This comes five days after Houser pitched six scoreless innings in a 1-0 loss at Tampa Bay.
His rise is a big boost for a Brewers pitching staff dealing with shoulder injuries to two-time All-Star Brandon Woodruff, Eric Lauer, Wade Miley and Aaron Ashby.
“We’re short on starting pitchers right now, but you can’t pressure yourself,” Houser said. “The game is already difficult enough as it is. compete with your butt.”
Willy Adames hit a two-run home run in the first inning to put the Brewers ahead for good. Owen Miller and Brian Anderson added solo shots in the seventh.
That was more than enough offense for Houser (1-0), who struck out three and walked one in just his fourth appearance this season.
Houser’s rise is a bit surprising after he went 6-10 with a 4.73 ERA last year. The 30-year-old right-hander probably would have started this season in the bullpen if he hadn’t been on the disabled list.
Instead, he spent April recovering from a right groin strain. She has pitched exceptionally since her return. Houser’s performance on Wednesday lowered his ERA to 2.25.
“I prepared myself as a starter,” Houser said. That’s what I think I am. When I turn in my work, that’s what I plan to do. So to be able to come here and help the team contribute after a short stint on IL has been great.”
Houser helped the Brewers recover from a rocky start to this series.
After hitting four home runs off 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes and posting his most total hits and runs this season in a 12-2 victory Monday, the Astros have been shutouts in games. Consecutive: They were shutout once in their first 47. Colin Rea and four relievers combined for a five-hitter Tuesday in the Brewers’ 6-0 win that ended Houston’s eight-game winning streak.
“They didn’t walk a lot of people,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said. “That was his success. They were getting ahead of us. We were in the fifth inning before we knew it.”
In fact, this game lasted just 2 hours, 9 minutes, the Brewers’ fastest nine-inning home game since September 6, 2008. The Astros had four hits, two shy of their season-low.
It didn’t take long for the Brewers to take the lead against Brandon Bielak (1-2). After Christian Yelich led off the first with a double to left, Willy Adames launched a 429-foot drive over the center-field wall.
Bielak held off the Brewers from there before running out of gas in the seventh, when Miller homered to center field and Anderson added a two-out throw to right-center field. Miller, who homered for the second straight game, is hitting .400 (24-for-60) this month.
“He really killed us in this series,” Baker said. “Usually when we lose a series, there’s one guy who’s a thorn in our side. He was the backbone of this series.”
Houston’s best chance came in the sixth inning. Trailing 2-0, the Astros put runners on third and second with one out after Mauricio Dubón reached on an error by first baseman Rowdy Tellez and Alex Bregman doubled.
Joel Payamps replaced Houser and got out of trouble by striking out Yordan Alvarez and retiring Kyle Tucker on a fly out to center.
Payamps has inherited 13 riders this season. Only one of them has scored.
“(Alvarez is) a great hitter but you have to go after him,” Payamps said through an interpreter. “You have to attack. You have to make something happen. Fortunately, he went my way.”
Bryse Wilson, Jake Cousins and Hoby Milner combined to allow two hits and no walks over the final three innings.
