CAMP REPORT
On the field: The big hits came from the bottom of the order Tuesday as the Brewers beat the Cincinnati Reds, 6-3, at Maryvale Baseball Park.
No. 9 hitter Eric Sogard's bases-clearing double tied the game in the fifth inning, then Nick Franklin's three-run home run in the sixth out of the eighth spot put Milwaukee ahead to stay. Sogard grabbed the team RBI lead in Cactus League play with six, one more than Hernán Pérez.
"I'm just trying to see the ball, not trying to do too much," Sogard said. "I've just felt comfortable since my first at-bat. Last spring, it took me a while to get my feet back on the ground. I think I'm more relaxed this spring and able to focus on what I need to do to get ready. I'm able to work on different things."
Chase Anderson started and of the 19 pitches he threw, 18 were strikes. He allowed one hit and struck out one in two innings.
"It was good to have fastball command today," he said. "That was the biggest thing I took away from this outing. This is the part of spring training you try to get things figured out before the season starts. I felt a lot better today. It helps to be at home and get into your routine."
Weather: 67 degrees, sunny.
Cactus juice: How quickly things change.
A little less than a year after spending the spring trying to convince the Brewers he'd be able to fill a role as a utility man, Scooter Gennett returned to Maryvale as the Reds' starting second baseman armed with a new $5.7 million contract he earned this past off-season in arbitration.
"It's the first time I was in the (visitors') dugout over there. That was a little weird," said Gennett, who was claimed off waivers by the Reds at the end of spring training late last March and had a career year with a .295 average, 27 homers and 97 RBI.
"I walked into their clubhouse and messed around with them a little bit. It was nice just seeing everybody again."
Scoreboard: Brewers 6, Reds 3. Record: 5-1. Wednesday: Brewers vs Giants, 2:05 p.m. Milwaukee RHP Jhoulys Chacín (1-0) vs. San Francisco LHP Ty Blach (0-0, 0.00). Webcast – Brewers.com.
Countdown: 29 days until the Brewers' season opener March 29 in San Diego.