Espino not satisfied

Counsell likes what he sees in pitcher, though

If there’s anything Paolo Espino has learned bouncing around the minor leagues for the last 11 years, it’s don’t take anything for granted.

So despite knowing he’s probably once again a shorttimer with the Milwaukee Brewers after making his second spot start for them in the last three weeks, the 30-yearold Espino still did everything he could to make a positive impression on Thursday.

The right-hander accomplished the primary goals set out for him — eat up some innings and keep the team in the game — but had long since been lifted by the time the San Francisco Giants got to the Brewers’ bullpen and pulled out a 9-5, 10-inning victory.

In a four-inning, 81-pitch outing, Espino allowed five hits, three runs and two walks while striking out three. He allowed single runs in the second, third and fourth, with the final two runs coming via home runs.

“I think it was an OK outing,” said the Panama native, who was officially recalled from Class AAA Colorado Springs before the game.

“It wasn’t what I was expecting. I was hoping to throw at least five innings and do a

little better. I need to improve a little with my command, I think. Work ahead in the count. I was struggling a little bit with getting ahead.

“So hopefully next bullpen I get a good routine and get that working better.”

Espino fired a 1-2-3 first before having to work through a high-stress second that saw the Giants score once and load the bases against him before he caught Denard Span looking on a called third strike to end the threat.

Joe Panik led off the third with a homer and Austin Slater led off the fourth with another, but Espino limited the damage to those two solo shots. He left the game with the Brewers trailing the Giants and Johnny Cueto, 3-2.

Espino said he felt a little more at ease making his latest start in place of the injured Matt Garza with the benefit of having his debut already under his belt.

He turned in a very similar start against the Chicago Cubs on May 19, but at least this time he was able to pitch in 81-degree weather rather than driving rain and wind like he did at Wrigley Field.

“Every time I go out there I don’t put that much stuff in my head,” he said. “I try to go out there and do my best. It was a little easier going for me because I did have that first time already.

“Next time I get an opportunity hopefully I help the team more, too – for the win.”

Manager Craig Counsell liked what he saw from Espino. “He made big pitches in the second inning,” he said. “He won a battle with Span that was good to see. He was going through the heart of their lineup for a third time, and I thought we had some length in our bullpen to try and avoid that situation.”

Espino also checked another major-league first off his to-do list when he muscled an infield single up the middle against Cueto in his second and final at-bat in the fourth.

“It’s definitely exciting,” he said. “But I wish I’d have done a better job pitching. Try to go five or six – for myself, I would have felt a lot better. But getting a hit in the big leagues for the first time is awesome.

“He was throwing a lot of sliders, and that one time I got a fastball and I just went for it. It was good stuff.”

Espino was packing along with the rest of the Brewers after Thursday’s game as the team prepared to head to Arizona for the start of a seven-game road trip. With Garza not expected to be out long, he’s prepared to head back to Colorado Springs and keep plugging away if those wind up being his marching orders.

Espino was 4-1 with a 3.26 ERA through nine starts for the Sky Sox.

“I haven’t heard anything. I’m just hoping for the best,” he said. “If they give me another opportunity I’m going to try to take the best out of it. If I don’t, then I’m going to keep working. Go down and do all my stuff to try to get up here again.

“I’ve been through this so many times I’m a little used to it. I’m just going to try to take advantage of whatever happens.

“Hopefully everything is for the good.”