Brewer Bats Come Up Empty in Support of Kyle Lohse

Jul 28, 2014; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Milwaukee Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy (20) runs onto the field during the third inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Fresh off their two-two series tie with the New York Mets the Brewers headed to Tampa for a three game series with the surging Tampa Bay Rays.

The Crew sent Kyle Lohse (11-4, 3.07ERA) to take on former Brewers farm hand  Jake Odorizzi (6-8, 3.97 ERA) in the first game of the three game series.

Unfortunately for Milwaukee the offense is still failing to get on base and drive in runs. Since their 9-1 win on Thursday over the Mets the Crew has scored two runs or fewer in three of their four games, and took a 2-1 loss tonight.

Through the first two innings, a Matt Joyce walk was the only offense either team could manage.

The Brewers struck first in the top of the third inning. After a Scooter Gennett strike out, Mark Reynolds launched his fourth home run in his last 14 at-bats, and his 18th home run of the season to take a 1-0 lead.

Jean Segura followed with an infield single on a rocket to Even Longoria at third.  Longoria fielded the ball from his heels and couldn’t get anything on this throw as the grounder nearly knocked him over.

Carlos Gomez followed with a fielder’s choice ground out to third. Longoria got Segura at second, but they couldn’t get the speedy Gomez. Gomez stole second with Lucroy batting but was stranded there.

A Ben Zobrist single and steal of second was the only offensive action for the rest of the third, and fourth innings for either team.

After the Brewers went down 1-2-3 in the top of the inning, Logan Forsythe led off the bottom of the fifth with a double for the Rays but he was thrown out at third trying to extend it to a triple.

Yunel Escobar and Jose Molina went down quickly to end the inning with the Brewers still on top 1-0.

The Brewers went down quietly in the top of the sixth inning ahead of a threat by the Rays in the bottom half of the inning. Lohse got quick outs of Kevin Kiermaier and Desmond Jennings.

Ben Zobrist drew a two-out walk and Matt Joyce singled to left, moving Zobrist to third to put men on the corners for Evan Longoria who drew a walk of his own to load the bases for James Loney.

Loney knocked a bloop single to center to bring in Zobrist and Joyce and give the Rays a 2-1 lead. Lohse struck out Forsythe to end the inning.

Many Brewer fans were upset that ball four to Longoria wasn’t called strike three, but the pitch was just off the inside corner and it could have gone either way.

Lohse exited the game after the inning, his final line was six innings pitched, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks. He struck out six.

Aramis Ramirez singled in the top of the seventh but that was it for Milwaukee. Jeremy Jeffress came on to pitch the seventh for Milwaukee.

Yunel Escobar led off the inning with a single to right. He was retired as Molina bunted into a double play to erase Escobar. Kiermaier followed with a single back up the middle.

Jeffress deflected it to third, but the Brewers couldn’t get the out. Jennings grounded out to end the inning.

Brad Boxberger came in for the Rays in the eighth inning and struck out the side going through Gennett, Reynolds and Segura. The final line on Odorizzi was seven innings pitched allowing one run on three hits. He didn’t walk anybody and struck out five Brewers.

Zach Duke took the hill in the bottom half of the frame for the Crew and he worked around a two-out walk to Longoria to get out of the inning with no damage done.

Closer Jake McGee came on for the Rays in the top of the ninth and promptly struck out Gomez and Jonathan Lucroy before a Braun fly out to center to end the game.

Lohse took the loss for Milwaukee and Odorizzi earned the win for the Rays. The Brewers’ lead in the division dropped to just 1 1/2 games over St. Louis.