Adrian Houser allowed seven hits and three runs – one earned – with one walk and four strikeouts across 5 1/3 innings in a loss to the Padres on Wednesday.
This was not a pretty start by any means. Yet, not much of the damage done against Houser was necessarily his fault. Two usually sure-handed defenders Casey Schmitt and Matt Chapman each made errors that brought an unearned run home. Then, Gavin Sheets laced a run-scoring double in the sixth inning as Houser’s last batter while Tony Vitello tried to nurse him through the inning rather than opt for a lefty reliever. At the same time, the Padres were all over Houser with 11 hard-hit balls and he was fortunate enough to keep the game as close as he did.