Brewers win first game of the spring over San Diego, 11-7
Box Score
In their spring training opener, the Milwaukee Brewers defeated the San Diego Padres 11–7 on the strength of 13 hits, including two home runs from Wes Clarke.
Sal Frelick, Jackson Chourio, and Tyler Black all hit consecutive singles to start the game for the Crew. The Brewers saw each of their first three hitters reach base, but Fernando Tatis Jr. threw out Frelick after he overran first. Walking to keep the train moving and load them up for Blake Perkins was Joey Wiemer.
After that, Perkins hit into a force out that would have resulted in a double play, but Pedro Avila dropped a ball late in the play, allowing Perkins to reach and score two runs.
In the bottom of the inning, Rob Zastryzny recorded two fast outs before Manny Machado doubled and Xander Bogaerts singled to put runners at second and third. Eric Haase’s pickoff attempt went awry, allowing Bogaerts to score. Machado then made it 2-2 with another double from Ha-Seong Kim.
Oliver Dunn’s RBI triple gave the Brewers the lead again in the third, and Clarke’s two-run home run made it 5-2. Then in the fourth, a home run by Clarke again, an RBI single by Chourio, and a sac fly by Perkins gave the Brewers an 8-2 lead.
After that, the Padres gradually closed the deficit to 8-7 after eight innings. Clay Dungan hit a solo home run in the fifth, Kai Murphy, Pat Murphy’s son, drove in two runs with a double, Ripken Reyes doubled home a run, and Nathan Martorella delivered a two-RBI double.
In the ninth inning, Brock Wilken, a 2023 first-round draft pick, scored a bases-clearing double to give Milwaukee a commanding 11-7 lead. The Padres, who are now 0-3 in the early spring, were sent home.
Black, Luke Adams, Yonny Hernandez, Haase, and Dunn each had one hit on the day, while Frelick, Wilken, Chourio, and Clarke finished with two hits apiece. In addition to his two singles, Frelick reached all four times on walks and was hit by pitches, giving the Crew a total of eight walks. In addition, Frelick obtained a pilfered base.
Milwaukee used nine pitchers on the mound, with Edwin Jimenez, Tyler Woessner, Jared Koenig, Enoli Paredes, and Thyago Vieira all pitching one scoreless inning. Jimenez threw a spotless ninth with two strikeouts, while Koenig struck out three and gave up two walks.
In their first home game of spring training, the Brewers take on the Rockies on Sunday afternoon. Colin Rea of Colorado will take the mound opposite Karl Kauffmann for the first pitch, which is scheduled for 2:10 p.m. CST.
