MIAMI (AP) — Adrian Houser struck out 10 in six innings and homered off Daniel Castano for the second time this season, and the Milwaukee Brewers snapped a six-game losing streak by beating Miami 6-2 Saturday.
Avisaíl García added his fourth home run for the Brewers, who improved to 1-5 on their seven-game trip. The losing streak was their longest since July 2018, and began when they led the NL Central.
Miami had won four in a row. Marlins batters struck out 18 times and totaled only six hits.
Houser (3-3) allowed two runs while matching a career high in strikeouts, and his homer in the fourth raised his career average to .121 (4 for 33). He also homered against Castano and beat Miami on April 27, and is the first pitcher to homer off the same pitcher in separate games in the same season since Bronson Arroyo did it against off Glendon Rusch in 2006.
ADVERTISEMENTHouser became the 17th pitcher since 1900 to hit a home run, walk none and have at least 10 strikeouts in a game, and he’s the first Brewers pitcher to accomplish the feat.
Josh Hader, Milwaukee’s fourth pitcher, pitched around a single in the ninth and struck out three.
The Brewers’ turnaround began in the third, when five consecutives batters reached and they scored twice for their first lead since May 1. Tyrone Taylor singled home one run, and Luis Urías’ walk forced in another.
Miguel Rojas homered on the first pitch from Houser. It was Rojas’ second homer of the season, and his second to start the first inning in three days.
Adam Duvall singled home a run in the sixth.
Castano (0-2) allowed three runs in four innings.
NO-HITTERS
Marlins manager Don Mattingly, outspoken in his dislike of baseball’s trend toward less contact, isn’t surprised there have been four no-hitters already this season.
“There should be one every week, right?” he said. “We’ve built teams on the three-run homer or strikeout or walk, with not a lot of hits in between.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Brewers: Taylor was hit on the left hand by a pitch in the fifth but stayed in the game. ... RHP Corbin Burnes, sidelined for an undisclosed reason, is expected to throw a bullpen Monday and be activated next week.
Marlins: LHP Richard Bleier was hit on the leg by a comebacker but stayed in the game. ... Rehab assignments are expected for INF Jazz Chisholm (hamstring) and C Jorge Alfaro (hamstring).
ROSTER MOVES
Brewers: C Manny Piña (left big toe) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list, and LHP Brent Suter went on the bereavement list.
Marlins: Castano was recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville to make the start, and Miami optioned INF Jose Devers to Jacksonville.
UP NEXT
LHP Brett Anderson (2-2, 4.15), who has been sidelined with a strained right hamstring, is expected to start Sunday for the Brewers against RHP Sandy Alcantara (1-2, 2.95). Alcantara earned his lone win of the season April 28 at Milwaukee, allowing two runs in seven innings.
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