Milwaukee Brewers News Clips Wednesday, March 11, 2015 MLB.com PHOENIX -- Kyle Lohse pitched three scoreless innings Lohse builds case for opener start as Brewers and Martin Maldonado hit a two-run home run as the best Reds Parra on board with learning to play first base Brewers' regulars got the best of their Reds counterparts Brewers prospect Williams draws Kimbrel in the early innings of Tuesday's 5-3 Cactus League comparisons Last call: Lucroy to see action on Minors side victory for Milwaukee over Cincinnati at Maryvale K-Rod nearer to reporting to Brewers camp Baseball Park. Journal-Sentinel Gerardo Parra happy to provide depth at first Lohse scattered two hits and struck out four batters base without a walk while working opposite Johnny Cueto in Brewers beat Reds, 5-3, for first Cactus League victory a meeting of projected Opening Day starters. In his first Catcher Jonathan Lucroy cleared for intrasquad 5 2/3 innings this spring, Lohse has struck out seven games Brewers spring training report: Tuesday at a batters and walked none. glance Miller Park stadium tax could end as soon as 2018 Cueto enjoyed facing a Milwaukee lineup that featured several players expected to be regulars this season. Fox Sports Wisconsin Brewers option pitchers Hellweg, Wang to "It's good to have that, because when you face the minor leagues veterans, they sit there and just look at pitches," Cueto Brewers' Clark hopes to gain notice with hot bat said via translator Tomas Vera. "They let you throw and AP throw and throw. They take a lot of pitches, because they Brewers notch first spring-training victory are looking for something. It's good to face those guys." CKSN.com Melvin To Be Recognized On Chatham Signs Lohse felt differently, and was perfectly content to face a Blackbourn News lineup with Todd Frazier and Marlon Byrd representing Chatham’s Melvin Honoured By Council the only Reds regulars. Baseball Essential Jonathan Lucroy and Carlos Gomez Made a "It doesn't matter [that only Frazier and Byrd were in the Little Girl’s Day lineup]. I'd rather not see their regular guys, to be honest with you," Lohse said. "Especially when I'm working on http://m.brewers.mlb.com/news/article/112064286/kyle- stuff, it doesn't matter who I'm facing." lohse-builds-case-for-opening-day-start-as-brewers-best- reds The Brewers, who earned their first Cactus League win, Lohse builds case for opener start as Brewers best got to Cueto in the first inning before the righty settled Reds in. Scooter Gennett led off with a single and moved to Righty tosses three scoreless innings; Maldonado, third on Jean Segura's single before Carlos Gomez made Peterson homer it 1-0 with a sacrifice fly. Cueto then blanked the Brewers on only one more hit through the third inning. By Adam McCalvy / MLB.com March 10, 2015 Maldonado extended Milwaukee's lead when he homered in the fourth inning against left-hander Ryan Dennick, and Shane Peterson added a two-run homer an inning Maldonado, each of whom has appeared at first base in later against right-hander J.J.Hoover. the big leagues. Alex Blandino's two-run single in the ninth ended the "If [Parra] goes there and is comfortable there, he's going Brewers' shutout bid, and Garrett Boulware plated the to be a plus defender," Roenicke said. "So, who knows? Reds' final run with an RBI groundout. He likes to do things. He's kind of like 'Maldy.' When you ask [Parra] to do things, he's like, 'Yeah, I want to do Up next: It's a "show and go day" as the Brewers take the it!' The good athletes, the ones who are really confident, morning off before Matt Garza makes his second spring they love to do different things. start in Scottsdale on Wednesday against Tim Hudson and the World Series-champion Giants. First pitch is "If we keep working him there, he'll probably be our best scheduled for 3:05 p.m. CT, and the game can be heard defender there." on Gameday Audio. Garza, who is feeling more settled in his second Spring Training with Milwaukee, allowed a Parra borrowed a glove Monday from Adam Lind, the run on five hits and a walk in two innings against the Brewers' projected starting first baseman who has battled Dodgers last week. back injuries for years. Parra might man first base in an upcoming Cactus League game. http://m.brewers.mlb.com/news/article/112067392/brewe rs-gerardo-parra-on-board-with-learning-to-play-first- "I'll just be ready. You never know when somebody base needs to play first base, and I'm good to play," said Parra, Parra on board with learning to play first base who played some first base before he signed with the D- backs in 2004. "The point is staying in the lineup." By Adam McCalvy / MLB.com March 10, 2015 The discussion of Parra at first base led to two other common questions: Would the Brewers consider moving PHOENIX -- Gold Glove outfielder Gerardo Parra power-hitting but light-armed left fielder Khris Davis to expects his new first baseman's mitt to arrive within a first base in order to open a spot for a superior outfield day or two, but for now, his dabbling at the position defender? And what about moving Ryan Braun to first remains a just-in-case situation for the Brewers, manager base as a long-term solution to the Brewers' trouble Ron Roenicke said. replacing Prince Fielder? "We're probably trying to cover ourselves a little better," No and no, Roenicke said. Roenicke said Tuesday, a day after Parra appeared at first base in defensive drills. "They tried it before, and it didn't work," Roenicke said of Davis, referring to a trial period in instructional league If Matt Clark makes the roster, "the necessity is not there when Davis was a prospect. "The experiment was there as much," Roenicke said. But if Clark goes to Triple-A, in the Minor Leagues for a reason, and it didn't go very Parra could be a fallback option for the position along far." with Brewers catchers Jonathan Lucroy and Martin 3 Of Braun, Roenicke said, "Now you're taking a plus defender in the outfield and moving him to first. … I get That one rough outing aside, Williams -- ranked the No. the thinking. It's not like it's bad thinking. But he knows 15 prospect in the Brewers' system by MLB.com -- made he's still a good defender in the outfield, and he doesn't a positive first impression. want to play first base." "The first live pitching I faced was Williams, the young http://m.brewers.mlb.com/news/article/112094522/brewe kid," said Brewers center fielder Carlos Gomez. rs-prospect-taylor-williams-draws-craig-kimbrel- "Unbelievable, that kid. He's got the best stuff I've seen comparisons all spring. Throwing 96 [mph]. Sliders. I see [Craig Brewers prospect Williams draws Kimbrel Kimbrel] in him." comparisons Kimbrel is the Atlanta Braves' All-Star closer. By Adam McCalvy / MLB.com March 10, 2015 It was a common comp for Williams in camp. PHOENIX -- The official record of Brewers pitching "That guy, it was as impressive a live batting practice as prospect Taylor Williams' first big league camp goes like I've ever seen," said Ryan Braun. "Pure-stuff-wise, as this: Two-thirds of an inning pitched, three hits, four good a fastball as I have ever seen in live BP. Explosive. runs, two walks, one wild pitch, then back to the Minor It reminded me of Craig Kimbrel's fastball." Leagues on Tuesday as part of the Brewers' first spring cuts. That fastball is headed across the parking lot at Maryvale Baseball Park to the club's Minor League complex, One former Brewers pitcher who knows Williams as where Williams will begin to stretch out as a starting well as anybody believes the 23-year-old will be back. pitcher, probably bound for a prospect-rich rotation at "I think they've got a gem," said Mike Birkbeck, the Double-A Biloxi. former big leaguer who was Williams' pitching coach at Kent State University. "Let me put it to you this way: Williams will begin the season about 10 pounds lighter He's the nicest kid in the world for 21 hours a day, but than last year, when he continued to evolve as a pitcher. for those three hours on the mound, he is a competitor. That evolution, Williams said, began with Birkbeck at "You can sense it when a guy has big league stuff. Kent State. Taylor has that kind of stuff." "He's been my biggest mentor since I played there," Birkbeck, like Williams, was a fourth-round Draft pick Williams said. "We text all the time, I call him every of the Brewers, the coach in 1983 and the student in month or two. It's pretty cool, especially because he was 2013. Birkbeck made it to the Majors in 1986 and a Brewer. pitched parts of six seasons, four with Milwaukee. Williams, who split last season between the Brewers' two "He said, 'You're good enough. You have nothing to go Class A clubs, got his first taste over the past three weeks into camp being scared about.'" and is hoping to follow in his mentor's footsteps. 4 Also returned to Minor League camp Tuesday were I want to get comfortable over there, completely knock pitchers Brooks Hall and Hobbs Johnson, and catcher out any feeling of tightness and all that, make sure there's Cameron Garfield.