OAKLAND -- The front office was “working hard” ahead of Wednesday’s 3 p.m. CT Trade Deadline, said Brewers manager Craig Counsell, whose team was working late out west to continue making the case for going for it.
Adrian Houser rejoined a starting rotation depleted by injuries and delivered five good innings. Lorenzo Cain saved a run and maybe two with another diving catch in the sixth. Yasmani Grandal hit a tying a single in the eighth inning, and Eric Thames snapped an 0-for-17 slump with a tying home run in the ninth. It was a good fight, but not enough to beat the A’s, who got a go-ahead home run from Khris Davis in the eighth and a walk-off home run from Matt Olson in the 10th that sent Milwaukee to a 3-2 loss at the Oakland Coliseum.
By the time the Brewers take the field again, their answers will have to come from within. This year’s Trade Deadline represents a hard stop on inter-team transactions.
“[Wednesday] is going to be an absolute zoo,” said Thames. “That’s how it is every year. I saw the trade of [Trevor] Bauer to the Reds, but I feel like there’s going to be two-to-three more crazy ones.”
Does he think the Brewers have a big move in them?
“I don’t know,” Thames said. “I’ve heard rumors, but you never know. Everybody is kind of on their phone, on social media checking for the alerts. It will be interesting. We’ll see if any of us get phone calls.”
In the opening game of the Brewers’ nine-game road trip that will cover three cities in three different time zones, Oakland beat Josh Hader, who still has not allowed a single run this season -- whether his own or an inherited runner -- on anything other than a home run. Ten of the 24 hits against him this season have cleared the fence, in 51 innings. Last year, he allowed nine home runs in 91 1/3 innings including the postseason.
It was the Brewers’ second straight loss after winning eight of the previous 11. Leaky pitching and all, they are two games behind the first-place Cardinals and one game behind the Cubs in a tight National League Central. Wednesday’s Deadline marks general manager David Stearns’ last chance to improve the roster from outside.
Counsell has shown no outward angst about the state of his pitching staff. Before Houser rejoined the rotation Tuesday, the Brewers had two starters on the 10-day injured list (Brandon Woodruff and Jhoulys Chacin) and another in limbo (Gio Gonzalez) after a shoulder scare. Right-hander Jordan Lyles was on the way thanks to a Monday trade, but he offers no guarantees entering his scheduled start on Wednesday after logging a 15.00 ERA in four July starts for the Pirates.
Houser, making his first start since July 15, delivered five innings on 69 pitches in his return to Milwaukee’s rotation. He allowed Olson’s RBI double with two outs in the third inning but little else while holding Oakland to that lone run on three hits, with one walk and six strikeouts.
“He certainly did his job,” Counsell said. “It was his best start as a starter for us.”
Said Houser: “I felt like I could have kept going. They didn't want to push me too much because it had been a couple times out that I hadn't gone that deep. But yeah, I think I could have gone more.”
Houser was matched by A’s starter Chris Bassitt, who held the Brewers scoreless for six innings to continue a trend. Over the seven games, opposing starters have a 2.58 ERA against the Brewers, who have done most of their damage late, like Grandal and Thames against tough A’s right-hander Liam Hendricks.
“Homers in the ninth are not going to happen against closers very often,” Counsell said. “We’re making it too easy on these starting pitchers.”
He said the Brewers were searching for answers for that problem.
Meanwhile, Stearns is continuing the search for reinforcements at the right price.
“I feel like ever since last year, the postseason run, and our division is so competitive, this team is trying to win,” Thames said. “They’re doing their job, making moves. But do I know what they’re doing? No. I don’t think anyone in here does. We just have to keep focusing on playing, and whatever they say, goes.”