MILWAUKEE — The final score Thursday might not show it, but there are signs the real offense of the Milwaukee Brewers is about ready to show up.

The Brewers lost to the Philadelphia Phillies 3-1 at Miller Park and missed several chances to score in the seventh inning.

But when a team built on offense is 13-9 without much of that offense, optimism still abounds.

Bill Hall broke a streak of 18 hitless at-bats with three hits Thursday. Ryan Braun also had three hits to give him eight in 17 at-bats in the past four games. Rickie Weeks is still trying to find his way to .200, but he has it enough balls hard to make his .193 average look more powerful than it is.

"I don't feel like we're hot and we're still finding some ways to play pretty good baseball and win some games," Hall said. "It's still only April. ... Our stats will be there in the end."

Manager Ned Yost is his optimistic self when it comes to his offense, which is hitting .248 as a team but has found a way to average almost five runs per game.

"I get the feeling a couple of these guys are getting really close to busting loose," Yost said. "Billy had a good day. Prince (Fielder) is really, really close. (Weeks) has been swinging really well but hitting balls right at people. Corey Hart is the same way. He gets his hits and when he gets hot, he can carry us."

You are what you eat

Fielder is a little steamed with the attention his new vegetarian diet is getting, especially in relation to what some perceive as his lack of power in the early season. Fielder addressed the subject without being asked about it after hitting two home runs Wednesday night.

Fielder said the attention his diet has received "didn't bother me. The only thing is that you got people saying (a lack of power) is because I don't eat meat, or whatever. But my thing is a lot of people in the stands and you guys (reporters), you guys eat meat all day and you guys can't hit a ball."

The ironman

Catcher Jason Kendall made his 20th start in 22 games this season, an unusually heavy workload for a catcher.

It puts him at the top of National League catchers for starts along with Russell Martin of Los Angeles and Brian McCann of Atlanta, both of whom went into Thursday's games with 19 starts in 21 games.

Making Kendall's appearances even more interesting is that this was his seventh straight start and his fifth start in a day game following a night game.

"He knows how to handle himself," Yost said of his veteran who is the only catcher in the major leagues to average 130 or more starts over the past six seasons. "We've talked about it. He'll let me know when he needs (a break)."