Rasmus' 2 homers power Astros past Brewers, 6-4
MILWAUKEE -- It's all about location for a pitcher. Unfortunately for Wily Peralta, he had none.
Peralta allowed six runs, including both of Colby Rasmus' homers, and the Milwaukee Brewers lost to the Houston Astros 6-4 Saturday night.
"Rasmus just hurt him today," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "That was the story for Wily."
Peralta (0-2) lost 12-3 to San Francisco in the season opener. In this one, he also allowed a homer to Tyler White and gave up seven hits and four walks in 4 1/3 innings.
Peralta's catcher, Jonathan Lucroy, knows the big right-hander is working hard.
"It's still good stuff," Lucroy said. "Control's a little off. Got to get that back. It's frustrating for him because I know he's battling through it."
Peralta has allowed 10 earned runs and 13 hits in 8 1/3 innings.
"You don't want to start the season that way," he said. "I just have a tough time locating my pitch. I'm leaving a pitch in the middle of the plate. I have to make a little adjustment in my bullpen between starts and go out there and execute."
Doug Fister (1-0) won his Astros' debut, allowing three runs and five hits with six strikeouts in five innings.
White kept up his torrid start for Houston with a sacrifice fly in the first and followed Rasmus in the fifth with his third home run. White is 10 for 15 so far in his rookie season and became the first Astros player to hit three home runs in his first five career games.
Rasmus hit a career-high 25 home runs last season. He teed off on Peralta with a solo shot in the third and a two-run blast in the fifth that landed near the top row of the second-tier bleachers in right.
On Friday night, Rasmus was called for interference under the new "Chase Utley rule" resulting in a game-ending double play that halted Houston's ninth-inning rally and gave the Brewers a 6-4 win.
"When (Rasmus) gets locked in, and we saw it in streaks last season and even this season, there is a look to him where he is controlling exactly what he is looking for," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "When he gets it, he does a ton of damage."
Luke Gregerson pitched the ninth for his second save.
Scooter Gennett hit his third homer this season, a two-run shot in the fifth. He had just six home runs last year in a platoon role, but this year, the Brewers are giving the left-handed batting infielder a chance to become the regular second baseman. So far, he's made the most of it with a club-best .438 batting average.
Kirk Nieuwenhuis hit his first home run as a Brewer, connecting off Pat Neshek for a solo shot in the sixth. He also saw his first action in center field with Milwaukee after appearing in three games as a pinch-hitter.
UP NEXT
Brewers: RHP Jimmy Nelson (0-1, 2.45 ERA) starts against Houston, a team he's never faced. He allowed two runs on five hits over 7 1/3 innings in a 2-1 loss Tuesday to San Francisco. He'll face LHP Dallas Keuchel (1-0, 2.57 ERA)
