3/24/06 - Brewers (Davis) @ D-Backs (Webb), 2pm, MLB Audio

[Brian the Automator]

From Drew Olson of the Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel:

 

Phoenix - First baseman Prince Fielder, who left camp on Sunday in order to return to Florida for the birth of his second son, Haven, has rejoined the club and will be in the starting lineup as the Brewers face Arizona this afternoon at Tucson Electric Park.

 

Here is the lineup for the Brewers:

 

1, Brady Clark, cf

2, J.J. Hardy, ss

3, Geoff Jenkins, rf

4, Prince Fielder, 1b

5, Corey Koskie, 3b (Braun)

6, Gabe Gross, lf

7, Mike Rivera, c

8, Zach Sorensen, 2b

9, Doug Davis, p.

 

----

 

Starting Lineups:

 

Brewers

 

1. Brady Clark, cf

2. J.J. Hardy, ss

3. Geoff Jenkins, rf

4. Prince Fielder, 1b

5. Corey Koskie, 3b

6. Gabe Gross, lf

7. Mike Rivera, c

8. Zach Sorensen, 2b

9. Doug Davis, p.

 

Also pitching today: Lehr (6th and 7th)

 

Diamondbacks

 

1. Jeff Davanon, CF (Terrero)

2. Andy Green, 2B

3. Shawn Green, RF (Quentin)

4. Tony Clark, 1B (Carter)

5. Carlos Quentin, LF (Frasier)

6. Stephen Drew, SS

7. Koyie Hill, C

8. Brian Barden, 3B

9. Brandon Webb, p (Castellanos, Mulholland)

 

Top 1st

Webb Pitching

1. Clark - flied out to left field

2. Hardy - grounded out to shortstop

3. Jenkins - grounded out to second base

 

Bot 1st

Davis Pitching

1. Davanon - struck out swinging

2. A Green - infield single

3. S Green - popped out to first base

4. Clark - flied out to right field

 

Top 2nd

Webb Pitching

1. Fielder - walked

2. Koskie - singled to left field, Fielder to second

3. Gross - singled to left field, Fielder to third, Koskie to second

4. Rivera - grounded into fielder's choice at second, Fielder scores, Koskie to third (1-0 Brewers)

5. Sorensen - flied out to left field, Koskie tags and scores, Rivera tags and goes to second. (2-0 Brewers)

6. Davis - struck out swinging

 

Bot 2nd

Davis Pitching

1. Quentin - flied out to left field

2. Drew - walked

Drew caught stealing by Davis/Fielder/Sorensen

3. Hill - grounded out to second base

 

Top 3rd

Webb Pitching

1. Clark - singled, line drive to center field

2. Hardy - singled to right field, Clark to second

3. Jenkins - singled to right field, Clark scores, Hardy to third (3-0 Brewers)

4. Fielder - grounds into fielder's choice at second, Hardy scores, Fielder safe at first (4-0 Brewers)

5. Koskie - singled to right field, Fielder to second

6. Gross - singled to right fielder, Fielder to third, Koskie to second

7. Rivera - popped out to shortstop

8. Sorensen - singled to left field, Fielder scores, Koskie scores, Gross to second (6-0 Brewers)

9. Davis - struck out swinging

 

Bot 3rd

Davis pitching

1. Barden - lined out to second base

2. Webb - flied out to right field

3. Davanon - grounded out to shortstop

 

Top 4th

Webb pitching

1. Clark - reaches on error on second baseman (A Green)

2. Hardy - homered to left field, Clark scores (8-0 Brewers)

3. Jenkins - reaches second base on error by Drew

4. Fielder - doubled to deep center field, Jenkins scores (9-0 Brewers)

John Castellanos replaces Webb

5. Koskie - grounds out to second base, Fielder to third

6. Gross - doubled to right field, Fielder scores (10-0 Brewers)

7. Rivera - flied out to center field

8. Sorensen - flied out to center field

 

Bot 4th

Ryan Braun replaces Corey Koskie

Davis Pitching

1. A Green - singled to left field

2. S Green - popped out to third base

3. Clark - grounded out to first base

4. Quentin - struck out swinging

 

Top 5th

Quentin moves from LF to RF

Terrero replaces Davanon

Frasier replaces S Green

Carter replaces Clark

Mulholland replaces Castellanos

Mulholland pitching

1. Davis - infield single off pitcher's leg

2. Clark - singled to left field, Davis to second

3. Hardy - walked, Davis to third, clark to second

4. Jenkins - lined out to shortstop

5. Fielder - singled to right field, Davis scores, clark to third, hardy to second (11-0 Brewers)

6. Braun - singled, Clark scores, Hardy to third, Fielder to first (12-0 Brewers)

7. Gross - flied out to deep right field, Hardy tags and scores (13-0 Brewers)

8. Rivera - singled to left field, Fielder scores, Braun to third (14-0 Brewers)

Rivera takes second on a wild pitch

9. Sorensen - struck out swinging

 

Bot 5th

Sorensen moves to SS

Abernathy replaces Sorensen

Hart replaces Fielder

Rottino replaces Gross

Moss replaces Clark

Cruz replaces Jenkins

Davis pitching

Gill replaces Drew

1. Gill - reaches on error by first baseman (Hart)

Note: Braun got rid of the ball very quickly, strong, accurate throw. Hart botched the catch

2. Hill, singled to center field, Gill to seecond

Note: Moss misses on a diving catch

3. Barden - popped out to first base

4. Frasier - homered to center field, Gill scores, Hill scores, (14-3 Brewers)

5. Terrero - walked

6. A Green - struck out swinging

Daron reads my email on the air

7. Carter - flied out to left field

 

Top 6th

Gill remains in the game at SS

Erickson replaces A Green

Wilkinson replaces Mulholland

1. Davis - walked

Escobar replaces Davis

2. Moss - struck out swinging

Daron reads Casey's email

3. - Error on 2nd base, Escobar goes to second

4. -

[Weirdos19]

Looks like Rivera is getting a long look (fingers crossed).http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

 

To have him starting with our opening day starter on the mound tells me that Moeller could be on the way out.

 

Just nine days until opening day. This is about the time you want your catchers and pitcher getting in sync.

 

 

Maybe I'm just dreaming......

[brettac1]

Interesting and totally worthless spring training stat: Mike Rivera has a lower OBP (.263) than AVG (.278 ) . He's also slugging .833. I think even if he doesn't walk, if he can pop the occasional homer or 10, he's still more valuable than Moeller.

[brewerfan82]

Quote:

---

3, Geoff Jenkins, rf

4, Prince Fielder, 1b

5, Corey Koskie, 3b

6, Gabe Gross, lf

---

 

Four lefties in a row... wonder if we'll ever see that in the regular season? (of course it'd mean we'd have Lee, Hart and maybe Hall to come off the bench when they stuck a lefty in there)

[DHonks]

Brettac, didn't Moeller hit 7 last year? I remember being shocked at 3 or 4 games I was at when he hit opposite field jacks, all were clutch, as they brought us into games or gave us the lead for good.

 

Also, this shows how much the Crew cares about winning in Spring training. They're sending most of their starters on the 2 hour busride to Tucson. Ned means business

[brettac1]

Yeah, but I still feel more confident in Rivera's power. Moeller only hit five the year before, in more AB's. I think Rivera can really mash.

[Brian the Automator]

If Rivera made the roster, Ned would need to put him 7th. If he's hitting 8th, the power does him no good at all when he's getting pitched around.

[DHonks]

A lot of it really comes down to Rivera's overall skillset. Moeller is still likely going to wind up a better hitter than we've seen. He's also a better defender than most here give him credit for. I know some hate him because he calls for Ben Sheets' high fastball (of course, they ignore that the high fastball is--and always has been--Ben's best strikeout pitch).

 

Really, I don't care how things work. I like the idea of having several competent catchers between AAA and the big leagues.

 

Also, maybe someone can refresh my memory, but isn't Rivera a switch hitter?

[brettac1]

He bats right. Rivera is actually younger than Moeller. Part of it just might be the desire to see the unknown over the known all to well that is Chad Moeller.

[DHonks]

I was really excited when we signed Rivera, since he performed solidly in Detroit.

 

Didn't realize Moeller was 30

[DHonks]

Good matchup today, as two of the game's best #2 pitchers go today. Too bad the Dbacks refused to send us Webb in the early rumors. Would have made us even better by slotting Davis 3rd

[colbyjack]

One thing that always makes me skeptical of players like Rivera, and the sometimes irrational love people have for players like this, is the fact that no other team has given him the chance either. You could point to players like Kolb, Podsednik and Turnbow and note they weren't given a chance either, but Rivera has been around for a while, and while he does have good power, the rest of his offensive skills are questionable (meaning I don't think I would say he can really mash http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif ). In the limited number of ABs he would get over Moeller, how many more dingers would he hit?

 

I'm just playing devil's advocate, because the backup catcher spot was one position I wanted to see upgraded over the offseason. There are relatively cheap options out there, with Jason Phillips being one of my more favorite ones (and now it looks like he's going to catch in the minors for the Blue Jays).

[plowjockey]

Sheets to throw BP this weekend. Weeks looks good too. May play soon. Good news.

[rluzinski]

If Rivera made the roster, Ned would need to put him 7th. If he's hitting 8th, the power does him no good at all when he's getting pitched around.

 

If his power causes pitchers to put him on base for free, I wouldn't see that as a waste at all. I'd rather start an inning off with Clark as opposed to the pitcher.

[plowjockey]

Pop out and 2 ground outs to 2nd. 1-2-3 for Brandon Webb.

[honuswagner21]

One thing that always makes me skeptical of players like Rivera, and the sometimes irrational love people have for players like this, is the fact that no other team has given him the chance either.

 

It is this type of thinking that makes me especially have concerns about Kolb and Turnbow. Both only had one good season. But, I know that issue has been talked about to death.

[Patrick425]

I don't really get all the enthusiasm over Rivera. Ok, I realize that Moeller is a horrible hitter and an average defensive catcher at best. Rivera is 30 years old and has 2 dingers in roughly 200 MLB abs. I look at his ML stats and it appears that he was back up or platoon catcher in the minors (rarely had more than 250abs). Ok, maybe he's better defensively, but is anyone else a little depressed that this is the best the Brewers can find for a back up catcher. A 30 year old former back up catcher in the minors?

 

I realize catching in the majors is thin, but come on. If these are the options, the Brewers need to play Miller at least 80% -85% of the time.

[Brian the Automator]

If someone could track the top of the 2nd for me, that'd be great. i've got a phone call to attend to

[plowjockey]

Colby, did you get my note on Tolleson?

[Brian the Automator]

what happened with Fielder?

[undertow67]

Feilder walked.

[DHonks]

I'd still love to try to add Scott Hairston to the Brewers' system. He's a very good hitter and has played LF and 2b. I would assume he'd be an option at CF, RF, and possibly 3b, too, as a solid utility guy.

[1992casey]

Who's Daron's broadcast partner today? I think he said Dustin.

[honuswagner21]

Who's Daron's broadcast partner today? I think he said Dustin.

 

I believe that it is Ryan Radke...voice of the Tucson Sidewinders again. He sounds pretty good. Has a good radio voice.

[brettac1]

I think it's similar to where Branyan kind of helped out - he got walked a ton and helped cycle through the order. I don't know that Rivera will get that much respect, though, at least not right away. He'd probably start off hot and hit a couple bombs in April, then get figured out. It'd be a matter of him adjusting, which maybe he can't, to being pitched around. Mark Johnson might be overly patient, but I wouldn't mind him getting a shot at the backup spot, either.