Some impressive signs all around for Brewers
SURPRISE, Ariz. – A weather delay and lighting issue delay couldn’t keep the Milwaukee Brewers from capping a long day at Surprise Stadium with a 6-4 win over the Kansas City Royals.
The victory, Milwaukee’s third in a row in Cactus League play, saw the bats tee off against Royals young ace Cole Ragans.
Oliver Dunn and Andruw Monasterio hit run-scoring doubles during a threerun second inning against Ragans, who dominated late last year after being traded to the Royals. Blake Perkins, in a return from a calf injury that kept him out nearly two weeks, roped a single to drive in the third run of the inning.
Facing his former team, Taylor Clarke got the start for Milwaukee and tossed three scoreless innings, striking out two, walking one and allowing two hits.
“Clarke, he’s been impressive,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said.
Joel Payamps, Elvis Peguero and Abner Uribe – three of the replacement closer candidates – each threw scoreless outings in relief.
All four Royals runs came against Bryan Hudson during the fifth inning.
Blake Perkins returns with an impact
Out of the lineup since March 6 while dealing with a minor calf strain, Perkins asserted himself in a major way Sunday in all facets.
Perkins followed his single off Ragans in the second by swiping second base and later drove in a run with a hard-hit sacrifice fly.
The top highlight for Perkins was on defense. With the bases loaded and two outs in the fifth inning, a slicing fly ball was hit down the line in left. Perkins was shaded that way and made a seamless break on the ball, tracking it down with a headfirst diving catch right on the foul line.
“He’s a great defender,” Murphy said. “He can do that stuff. Not many guys can.”
Dunn also had a strong game defensively at third base, highlighted by a diving stop on a Hunter Renfroe ground ball in the first inning that saved a run.
Joey Wiemer is swinging the bat better
The swing changes came first for Joey Wiemer. Now, the hard contact is following.
Wiemer’s day began at the plate by crushing a Ragans breaking ball down the left field line foul by a matter of feet. After that, he pounded a fastball right back up the middle for a single.
In the fifth, Wiemer smacked another ball toward center for a hard-hit single, this time driving in a run.
“He’s getting better and better,” Murphy said. “He’s worked hard. They’ve made some adjustments with him. He’s taken to it and he’s worked hard at it.”
It was a slow start for Wiemer this spring, but he’s now tallied multi-hit games in two of his last three times out.
Jackson Chourio watch
Chourio played in the first game of the day, the exhibition Spring Breakout prospect game. He went 1 for 3 and drove in a run with a hard-hit single. He also put his speed on display by stretching out a twobase error on a grounder to third in his first at-bat.