CAMP REPORT
On the field: Wade Miley continued his strong spring and the Brewers scored three times in the ninth to post a 5-4, come-from-behind victory over the Cleveland Indians on Sunday at Goodyear Ballpark.
Miley allowed a leadoff home run to Francisco Lindor and then settled in and held the Indians to one run the rest of the way in a fiveinning outing that included three walks and four strikeouts. He continues to push for one of the two open spots in the Brewers rotation, along with fellow left-hander Brent Suter.
“I’ve been so lost for the last couple of years,” Miley said. “Obviously, I know it’s spring training for everybody, the hitters as well, but it feels good to get positive results.”
Youngsters Shane Opitz, Kyle Wren and Keston Hiura all had RBI singles in the ninth to key Milwaukee’s comeback.
“Some great at-bats in the last inning,” manager Craig Counsell said. “Five straight guys got on base with two strikes.”
Also, Corey Knebel is fine after being lifted mid-inning during his outing Saturday. It appeared as though he might have slipped on the mound and been injured, but Knebel said Sunday that it was only a flareup of a case of tendinitis he’s been battling for the last several years.
“It’s not big,” Knebel said. “I’ve had it during the season before. I just grind through it. It doesn’t bother me too much.”
Weather: 71 degrees, partly
cloudy.
Cactus juice: It was a situation every hitter hopes for – three batters on with nobody out and a chance to at least tie the game.
After Stephen Vogt, Christian Yelich and Jonathan Villar all singled in the sixth inning, Travis Shaw stepped to the plate only to fall victim to a crazy triple play.
He hit a bloop pop fly to third, but José Ramirez gloved the ball on a short hop near the base. Ramirez tagged Vogt for the first out, stepped on third to force Yelich for the second and then threw on to second to get Villar.
“If that happens during the regular season, I’m throwing my bat out of the stadium,” Shaw quipped.
Added Counsell: “They could have gotten four outs on that play. Very easily could have gotten four outs. I think everybody in our dugout said, ‘I’ve never seen anything like that before.’ Where the ball was hit and the situation kind of led to it.”
Scoreboard: Brewers 5, Indians 4. Record: 10-6-1. Monday: Brewers at Dodgers, 3:05 p.m. Milwaukee RHP Junior Guerra (0-0, 1.80) vs. Los Angeles LHP Clayton Kershaw (0-0, 0.00). Webcast: Brewers.com.
Countdown: 17 days until the Brewers’ season opener March 29 in San Diego.