CAMP REPORT
On the field: Left-hander Brent Suter had his roughest outing of the spring, allowing seven hits and four runs over four innings against Texas. A couple of poor fielding plays on his part that made things tougher.
“Both of those plays, I’d like to have back,” said Suter, who threw wildly on a tapper by Adrian Beltre and muffed a bunt by Delino DeShields. “I’ll go out (on a back field) and work on it, and hopefully it won’t happen again. It was one of those outings I had to grind through to try to keep my team in the game.”
As for the competition for spots in the rotation, Suter said, “It’s there but it’s not a focus. I’m focusing on every pitch and trying to be in the moment as much as I could.” Minor-league catcher Dustin Houle capped a four-run rally in the ninth with a two-out, three-run homer that tied the game, but the Rangers won, 6-5, on a run in the bottom of the inning off veteran Ernesto Frieri, whose command issues continued. Weather: Mostly cloudy, 67 degrees.
Cactus Juice: This week is a big one for first baseman Ji-Man Choi, whose mother, Aesuk Lee, and brother Jung Woo Choi are visiting the United States from South Korea for the first time. He was given the day off Wednesday to spend time with them and show them around the Phoenix area.
“It’s nice, but I spend a lot of money,” Choi said with a big smile.
Choi’s mother and brother will head back home Monday, on a day off for the team.
Scoreboard: Rangers 6, Brewers 5 . Record: 13-7-1. Friday: Brewers at Reds, 3:05 p.m. Milwaukee LHP Wade Miley (0-0, 1.38) vs. Cincinnati RHP Michael Lorenzen (0-0, 9.45). Radio: 620-AM.
Countdown: 13 days until the Brewers season opener on March 29 in San Diego.