Soft contact proves to be Houser’s demise
TORONTO - By virtue of their 7-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on Tuesday night, the Milwaukee Brewers dropped to 28-26 on the season.
Yet they remain in first place as the only team in the Central Division currently over the .500 mark, with the Pittsburgh Pirates dropping their third in a row to fall to 26-27 and 1 1⁄3 games off the pace.
For the injury plagued Brewers – who sent yet another player to the injured list before the game – the help is much appreciated as they are likely to welcome some reinforcements at the outset of the next homestand with some pitching help also inching closer to returning to action as well.
This series is just the fourth in Toronto for Milwaukee since the Brewers joined the National League in 1998, and first since April 11-12, 2017.
Here are three takeaways from the loss.
Adrian Houser was hit often, but not hard
Adrian Houser surrendered a careerhigh 11 hits in 4 1⁄3 innings, but 10 were singles. And the lone extra-base hit was a Whit Merrifield double pulled just down the third-base line that gave the Blue Jays the lead for good in the bottom of the first.
No question, Toronto lived by the old adage of "puttin' 'em where they ain't."
"In the first, Adrian didn't have great command. So, he fell behind some guys and they hit a bunch of balls on the ground – a couple them hard – and they got through," said manager Craig Counsell after Toronto singled three times and Merrifield doubled while Houser also issued a walk and spiked a wild pitch in falling behind, 4-2.
"That unfortunately led to a pretty big inning."
Two more runs were plated in the second, with Houser's inability to touch first on what was otherwise a routine grounder to Mike Brosseau at first base to start the frame and Brian Anderson's botch of a chopper two batters later that loaded the bases with nobody out setting the stage.
"The next inning we gave them five outs and then that led to two more runs, and that was kind of the story," Counsell continued. "The ball was on the ground tonight for the most part but they found some holes, for sure. Especially early in the game.
"I thought Adrian got going as the game went on, but the first inning, a four-spot is pretty tough to come back from in any inning."
Toronto capped the scoring with a single run in the third and was threatening to score again in the fifth when the right-hander was finally pulled for Bryse Wilson.
"They were putting some good swings on it and I just wasn't executing as good as I had been the last few games," Houser said. "I was leaving the ball out over the plate and they were able to hit it just hard enough to find some holes and get it through the infield.
"They stuck to their game plan and were able to jump on us early, and it's my fault for not making the adjustment there and making some better pitches."
Houser entered having not allowed a run while limiting opposing batters to a .154 average in 11 1⁄3 innings.
Andruw Monasterio has a night to remember
A victory would have been nice. But a two-hit night, and his first major-league hit, was a nice consolation prize for shortstop Andruw Monasterio, who was celebrating his 26th birthday.
"I'm very happy with my first hit but I would rather have a win tonight," Monasterio, who also made his first start in the bigs, said afterward.
Monasterio lined a two-out single to center off Yusei Kikuchi in the second inning, with the ball being taken out of play immediately thereafter. It was already authenticated and in a case in his locker after the game.
"My dad," he said when asked what he planned on doing with the ball. "That's my first coach. Everything I knew before I signed, he taught to me."
Monasterio then capped the night by singling to right in the ninth, leaving him as the only Milwaukee player with a multi-hit game (granted, the Brewers only finished with four).
The native of Caracas, Venezuela, joined the Brewers on Saturday in the wake of the concussion suffered by Willy Adames. With Adames on the sevenday IL, it's likely Monasterio's stay with be a short one assuming the Brewers' regular shortstop experiences no complications before returning.
"To be honest, since the first day on Saturday I didn't get nervous. I was waiting for this moment," Monasterio said. "Nine years in the minor leagues. I've been waiting for this moment so bad. I'm just trying to enjoy it. Toronto is a beautiful stadium. Just enjoy the moment.
"Living the dream."
Rowdy Tellez enjoys a special moment
Rowdy Tellez was a busy guy before the game on Tuesday, doing a multitude of interviews in the lead-up to his first return to Toronto since the Blue Jays traded him in July of 2021.
With left-hander Yusei Kikuchi on the mound, Tellez wasn't in the starting lineup but did eventually make an appearance in the sixth as a pinch-hitter.
He received a nice ovation from the crowd of 32,930 before stepping into the batter's box, and not long thereafter was rung up on strikes.
Tellez finished 0 for 2 at the plate, but took the warm reception to heart and expressed appreciation for it afterward.
"It was pretty special," Tellez said. "I didn't do a ton here, but to get that reception was special. It was really cool and I heard it. I didn't really know what to do. I didn't know if I was good enough to tip my helmet or if I should just wave.
"I loved my time here, I really did. But things come to an end and I'm glad it worked out for everybody. Pretty humbling, pretty emotional. It was an honor to really know even though I didn't spend a ton of time in Toronto I had an impact on people."