Brewers win first game of the spring over San Diego, 11-7
Wes Clarke homers twice as four Brewers collect multiple hits
The Milwaukee Brewers took their spring training opener against the San Diego Padres Saturday afternoon, winning 11-7 behind 13 hits, including a two-homer game for Wes Clarke.
The Crew kicked off the game with consecutive singles by Sal Frelick, Jackson Chourio, and Tyler Black. While Frelick was thrown out by Fernando Tatis Jr. after overrunning first, the Brewers had each of their first three batters reach base. Joey Wiemer kept the train going with a walk, loading them up for Blake Perkins.
Perkins then hit into a force out that should have been a double play, but a drop by Pedro Avila on the backend of the play allowed Perkins to reach and two runs to score.
Rob Zastryzny got two quick outs in the bottom of the inning before Xander Bogaerts singled and Manny Machado hit a double to put runners at second and third. An error on a pickoff attempt by Eric Haase allowed Bogaerts to score, and Machado then scored on another double by Ha-Seong Kim to make it 2-2.
The Brewers retook the lead in the third on an RBI triple by Oliver Dunn, followed by a two-run homer by Clarke to make it 5-2. The Brewers then extended the lead to 8-2 in the fourth on another homer by Clarke, an RBI single by Chourio, and a sac fly by Perkins.
From there, the Padres slowly chipped away, as Clay Dungan hit a solo homer in the fifth, Pat Murphy’s son Kai Murphy drove in two on a double, Ripken Reyes singled home a run, and Nathan Martorella hit a two-RBI double to cut the lead to 8-7 after eight innings.
2023 first-round draft pick Brock Wilken extended the lead for Milwaukee with a bases-clearing double in the ninth to put the game away, giving the Crew an 11-7 victory and sending the Padres home at 0-3 in their young spring season.
Frelick, Wilken, Chourio, and Clarke each finished with two hits on the day, while Black, Luke Adams, Yonny Hernandez, Haase, and Dunn had one hit each. The Crew also collected eight walks, as Frelick reached all four times with a walk and hit by pitch to add to his two hits. Frelick also collected a stolen base.
On the mound, nine pitchers threw an inning each for Milwaukee, with Thyago Vieira, Enoli Paredes, Jared Koenig, Tyler Woessner, and Edwin Jimenez each tossing a scoreless inning. Koenig struck out three while allowing two walks, while Jimenez pitched a perfect ninth with two punchouts.
The Brewers return to action Sunday afternoon as they take on the Rockies in their first home game of spring training. First pitch is set for 2:10 p.m. CST with Colin Rea on the mound opposite Karl Kauffmann for Colorado.
