Game Preview/Thread #-28: Brewers (2-5) @ Rockies (4-2)

For many of us the baseball season can't start until we hear Bob Uecker on the radio. If you're one of those people, then your 2013 season starts today.

Ueck and Joe Block will be on the call when the Brewers travel to Salt River Fields today to face 25-year-old lefty Daniel Rosenbaum (did not pitch in majors in 2012), the Rockies' pick in last winter's Rule 5 Draft. Rosenbaum spent 2012 with AA Harrisburg in the Nationals organization, where he posted a 3.94 ERA over 155.1 innings. He has a career 2.84 mark in the minors.

Rosenbaum has already pitched once this spring in relief, throwing two scoreless innings and allowing just one hit. Here's an excerpt from John Sickels' comment on him in the 2013 Baseball Prospect Book:

He's been decently effective in the minors despite a lack of press clippings, throwing strikes with an average-velocity sinker, a very good curveball, and a changeup. He keeps the ball down, posting a 2.29 GO/AO last year, and he could do fine work as a back-end starter or relief option.

He'll face veteran lefty Tom Gorzelanny (2.88 ERA, 3.97 FIP), the first of several relievers the Brewers are expected to use on a bullpen day today. Gorzelanny is making his first appearance of the spring and his first as a Brewer after signing a two-year, $5.7 million deal over the winter.

2012 was Gorzelanny's first full season as a reliever and he was excellent in that role, posting a 2.88 ERA and striking out nearly eight batters per nine innings over 45 appearances. There's a strong chance this is the only start he'll make this season. He throws a fastball right around 90 with a slider, changeup and occasional cutter. The slider has been his best pitch statistically.

Gorzelanny has faced the Rockies eight times in his career, including three times in relief in 2012. He posted a 9.00 ERA against Colorado last season, allowing five runs on six hits and three walks over five innings.

Today's Brewer lineup is about what you'd expect for a spring road game:

Norichika Aoki RF
Jean Segura SS
Logan Schafer LF
Carlos Gomez CF
Martin Maldonado C
Blake Lalli DH
Jeff Bianchi 2B
Donnie Murphy 3B
Hunter Morris 1B

We'll probably see a lot of bullpen pitchers today, with Michael Gonzalez expected to make his Brewer debut and Jim Henderson and John Axford also on the list to pitch.

The weather in phoenix gets nicer by the day. Expect a game time temp around 70 today and rising into the upper 70's as the game goes along.

Enjoy the game!