W: Shaun Marcum (1-0)
L: Edwin Jackson (1-2)
HR: None
The Brewer injury report grew by one more today.
Shaun Marcum got off to a nice start, retiring nine of the first ten batters he faced. The only exception was Alexei Ramirez, who hit a fly ball Mark Kotsay lost in the sun. After three innings, though, he was lifted from the game with shoulder tightness. He told reporters that he would've pitched through it in the regular season.
At least we could breathe one sigh of relief today: John Axford pitched a scoreless fifth, and Kameron Loe followed it with a scoreless sixth. Even Mitch Stetter looked good today, striking out the side in the seventh after hitting A.J. Pierzynski with a pitch.
If injuries open a spot for another outfielder to make this spring, Jeremy Reed is making a strong case to be that guy. He had two hits again today, boosting his spring batting average to .388.
A quick dose of other notes:
- Seven Brewer pitchers combined on the shutout: Along with Marcum, Axford, Loe and Stetter, Zack Segovia, Mike McClendon and Justin James pitched scoreless innings.
- Today's game probably shouldn't have been as close as the score would suggest. The Brewers stranded the bases loaded in the sixth and seventh innings, and left runners on second and third in the fifth.
- White Sox prospect John Shelby, son of new Brewer "Eye in the Sky" John Shelby, entered the game as a pinch runner in the eighth inning with his dad coaching from the other dugout.