Rangers at Brewers
A third straight missed game by reigning National League MVP Christian Yelich and a blown save by fellow All-Star Josh Hader generally would be the recipe for the continuation of a losing streak for the Milwaukee Brewers. However, the Brewers find themselves in position to run their winning streak to five games on Saturday, when they host the Texas Rangers for the middle contest of their three-game interleague series.
The Brewers carried a slim one-run lead into the ninth inning of Friday's opener before Hader blew his fourth save by surrendering a one-out solo homer by Elvis Andrus. The blow to their psyche proved to be short-lived, as Eric Thames answered with a walk-off, two-out blast that sent Milwaukee to a 6-5 victory, keeping the team one-half game ahead of the competition for the second wild card and moving it within 2 1/2 of the first-place Chicago Cubs in the NL Central. The Rangers had plenty of opportunities to avoid their eventual fate Friday after hitting three homers and drawing 10 walks, but they went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and left 11 on base en route to their third straight setback. Since going a season-high 10 games over .500 on June 28, Texas is 12-21 and finds itself 7 1/2 games behind a glut of teams in the American League wild-card race.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FS Southwest (Texas), FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers RH Pedro Payano (1-0, 3.45 ERA) vs. Brewers RH Adrian Houser (4-5, 4.24)
Payano settled for a second straight no-decision in as many career starts Sunday against Detroit, allowing three runs - two earned - on six hits and three walks over 4 1/3 innings. Control has been an issue for the 24-year-old, who has issued seven free passes in 9 2/3 frames as a member of the Rangers' rotation after walking 36 over 71 2/3 innings in the minors prior to his promotion. Payano made his first major-league start on the road against Oakland on July 28, yielding three runs in 5 1/3 frames.
Houser fell to 0-5 with a 6.82 ERA in eight starts this season after a road loss to the Cubs on Sunday in which he permitted four runs and nine hits over five innings. With three members of the rotation sidelined due to injury, the Oklahoman likely will remain in the rotation for the foreseeable future despite going 4-0 with a 1.47 ERA in 17 relief appearances. Houser is allowing left-handed hitters to bat .340 but owns a 1-2 record and 3.38 ERA in 11 contests (three starts) at home this season.
WALK-OFFS
1. Brewers MGR Craig Counsell expressed optimism that Yelich (back soreness) would be able to return sometime this weekend. The club is 8-4 in the 12 games the two-time All-Star has missed this season.
2. The Rangers have lost 13 of their last 19 on the road after going 13-6 in such contests from May 15-June 28.
3. Texas 2B Rougned Odor drew four walks on Friday to raise his total for the month to seven - two more than he recorded in July and two shy of his season-high mark of nine in June.