Hoskins’ grand slam gives a taste of what to expect
PHOENIX – Rhys Hoskins checked one box Friday afternoon and utterly obliterated a baseball from another.
Playing in back-to-back games for the first time since suffering a torn ACL last spring, Hoskins offered a reminder of what made him one of the game’s preeminent power hitters before the injury.
Hoskins drove in five runs with two extra-base hits as the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Oakland Athletics, 7-4, at American Family Fields of Phoenix.
The slugging first baseman’s first mighty thwack was a grand slam to the opposite field in the third inning. Hoskins told himself to stay back on the ball and deliver a swing with power to right field after his first at-bat of the game, then did just that, lofting a high fly ball that sailed over the fence.
Hoskins then followed that up with a scorching double to the left-center gap to drive in a run in the fourth.
The prized acquisition of Milwaukee’s off-season sure can make hitting big-league pitching after a year away look like riding a bike, even if he swears it isn’t that easy.
“I don’t know if you saw my first few games, but mostly what I did was swing and miss,” Hoskins said. “Guys are good and only getting better in this league and we’re reminded of that pretty much daily.”
Hoskins has hit two homers and has a 1.417 OPS through his first 12 at-bats of spring, but more importantly, he feels healthy in doing so.
“First back to back, so that’s another box to check,” Hoskins said. “I’m sure I’ll be somewhat tired and sore tomorrow, but that’s why we have the slow ramp up in spring that we do. I’m trying to peak come March 28. I feel strong in the box. I feel strong in the field. Just continue to get reps under my belt.”
Hall wanted to be put in uncomfortable spots
DL Hall’s first spring with the Brewers is also a learning experience.
Friday’s game was all about getting him out of his comfort zone on the mound with pitch selection, from changeups to backfoot sliders to going away from heaters in fastball counts.
Hall went two innings and started a third, allowing two runs while striking out three, while trying to fine-tune the minor details.
“I feel like it’s a preset plan in spring training,” Hall said. “Yeah, I’m competing and want to get everybody out, want to strike everybody out, but I’ve got to throw all my pitches. William (Contreras) put me in some uncomfortable situations in a good way, trying to learn new pitches. The backfoot slider to (Shea) Langeliers was a positive. I’m not a big back-footer. Just little things like that. I think that’s the more important part of today.”
The A’s ambushed Hall’s fastball – his best pitch – from the jump with a leadoff double. That led to a pair of runs in the first inning, as did Hall throwing breaking balls when behind in the count, which led to a walk.
But mixing it up and working on different pitches in different counts was the whole point for Hall, he said.
“It happens,” he said of the fastball getting hit. “They know what you have and know what you lean on. Guys can jump on. They get paid to do it, too.”
Lara has a memorable day
19-year-old outfielder Luis Lara, the Journal Sentinels’ No. 6 Brewers prospect, has found himself seeing a heavy dose of Cactus League action.
Lara is up to 14 at-bats already and saw his second consecutive start Friday with half the team going to Las Vegas for a split squad series against the A’s. Most of those trips to the plate have resulted in a tough time for the youngster getting his first taste of advanced pitching, but Lara notched his first hit and RBI on Friday.
He singled to lead off the third inning and scored on Hoskins’ grand slam, then drove in a run with a groundout to cap a long at-bat against Ross Stripling in the fourth.
Quotable
“Nope. All me.” Catcher William Contreras, who picked off a runner at first base Friday, on if he had been taking tips on back-picks from his brother, Willson Contreras. Willson has 28 pick-offs in his career to younger brother William’s one.
Jackson Chourio watch
Chourio was in Las Vegas to play in Friday night’s game against the Athletics.