On the surface, the Brewers' 3-3 road trip doesn't look all that bad. Dig a little deeper, though, and the truth reveals itself.

The Brewers were outscored, 47-41, in three games each against Cleveland and Detroit last week as the starting rotation got knocked around.

The starting four (with Manny Parra down in Class AAA Nashville) got tagged for 28 runs in 28 innings of work (9.00 earned run average) over the course of those six games and only once did a starter get past the sixth inning (Yovani Gallardo went seven on Sunday), and three times, a starter couldn't get into or out of the fourth.

Those short outings taxed the Milwaukee bullpen, which was forced to cover 17.1 innings.

When the Brewers were rolling, it was largely because of the work from their pitching. The team compiled a Major League-best 25 quality starts in their first 39 games but has notched just seven in the 29 games since.

Dave Bush, especially, has struggled. He's lost four of his last six starts and He'd been laboring even before a June 4 start at Florida, when he was drilled by a line drive just above the right elbow.

Since then, he's allowed 20 earned runs in 17.1 innings, walking eight and striking out 14. Going back to a May 24 start in Minnesota, and Bush has posted a 9.32 ERA.

"I have not been throwing the ball very well lately," Bush told reporters after the game. "That's pretty obvious."

After getting tagged for five runs in three innings in a Saturday outing (his second consecutive start of less than four innings), Dave Bush admitted to reporters that he was feeling fatigued.

"I'm dealing with some arm fatigue," Bush told Journal Sentinel beat writer Anthony Witrado. "My recovery has been a little slower than normal. I'm having a little trouble getting the normal strength in my arm. It's a little tired."

He threw just 51 pitches in that short outing and was tagged for his fourth loss in six starts.

Manager Ken Macha decided to give Bush the hook in the hopes of getting him a little extra rest. He's slated to pitch again on Thursday against Minnesota, but could get bumped back to Saturday, which would have been Parra's regular spot in the rotation.

"I'm hoping that a short outing will give him some rest and give him a chance to get straightened out," Macha said.

The Brewers had two off days in the last five, which would normally allow Macha to adjust his rotation a bit to give Bush a day off. But with Parra in the minor leagues trying to get back on track, there's little wiggle room.

Bush isn't alone, though. Braden Looper was knocked around in a rain-shortened outing Friday night in Detroit that was mercifully ended by a rain delay after he allowed seven runs on eight hits in 3.2 innings. When the rain cleared and play resumed, Macha went to his bullpen to finish out the seven-inning, 10-4 loss.

Even Gallardo hasn't been immune, he lasted just five innings in a start last Tuesday, giving up just two runs and five hits, but he also walked six, which forced him to throw 116 pitches.

Help wanted: General Manager Doug Melvin has said that there aren't many interested trade partners and not a lot of pitchers on the market, which puts added pressure on the overworked bullpen.

One member of the relief corps, righty Seth McClung, has been a popular choice to move into the rotation. He's been there before, but Macha is hesitant to break up the bullpen, especially by moving McClung, whose ability to pitch multiple innings is especially valuable now.

Parra is unlikely to return, but the Brewers do have some options in the minors. Mike Burns pitched four innings of relief with the Brewers could get the start Thursday - his regular day in the Sounds' rotation.

He's already on the 40-man roster and has posted a 7-2 record in Nashville with just 13 walks and 48 strikeouts.

Parra, meanwhile, will make his second start for the Sounds tomorrow night He went six innings in his first outing last week, allowing one earned run on four hits and four walks with four strikeouts in six innings of work.  Page 1 of 2 (view all on one page)

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