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The Milwaukee Brewers stayed hot in sunny Phoenix on Friday afternoon, taking down the Chicago White Sox for their fourth consecutive win to move to .500 at 4-4 in Cactus League play. The Crew did it behind a balanced offensive attack and some solid bullpen work late.
Right-hander Brandon Sproat, one of Milwaukee’s acquisitions in the Freddy Peralta trade, made his spring debut in this one. He allowed a leadoff single in the first before striking out the next two hitters. After Chase Meidroth stole second, catcher Edgar Quero singled him home to make it 1-0 early. Sproat would pick off Quero at first base, but the Brewers faced an early deficit.
Milwaukee went down 1-2-3 against Sean Burke in the first, and after Sproat recorded a strikeout of Jarred Kelenic, he allowed a walk and a single. That marked the end of Sproat’s day, as he went 1 1/3 innings with three strikeouts and a run allowed on a walk and three hits.
Kaleb Bowman worked around a passed ball to finish out the inning with the score still 1-0.
After once again going down 1-2-3 in the second, Abner Uribe got the ball in the third. He allowed a run on a walk, a sac bunt, and a double as Quero picked up his second RBI of the day.
With the score now 2-0, Luis Rengifo cut that lead in half to lead off the third, slugging his first homer of the spring 345 feet over the wall in right. Milwaukee wasn’t done there either.
Garrett Mitchell followed with a walk, Joey Ortiz singled, and Jackson Chourio singled to tie it up at 2-2. Brice Turang then flew into a 7-5-6 double play as Ortiz was thrown out on the basepaths, and William Contreras popped out to end the rally.
Shane Drohan, one of Milwaukee’s acquisitions in the Caleb Durbin trade, made his spring debut in the fourth and proceeded to strike out the side (all swinging).
The Brewers took the lead in the fourth against new pitcher Tanner McDougal, as Jake Bauers doubled and was brought home by Rengifo to make it 3-2 entering the fifth.
Drohan’s fifth inning didn’t go quite as well as the fourth, as he allowed a single and hit Meidroth with a pitch before recording an out. He was able to induce a pair of groundouts — including a fielder’s choice at the plate to cut down Oliver Dunn — and Quero lined out to end the inning with no damage done.
Milwaukee tacked on another in the fifth, as Ortiz singled, stole second, and later scored on a Brice Turang double to make it 4-2.
Most of Milwaukee’s starters were substituted in the sixth and seventh, as Chourio, Mitchell, Sal Frelick, and Turang were all removed before Bauers and Rengifo exited the next inning.
The Brewers were able to tack on one more run in the seventh, as Ortiz, Jacob Hurtubise, and Contreras all singled to make it 5-2.
The White Sox nearly mounted an eight-inning rally against Drew Rom, as Rom walked the bases loaded before his replacement, Will Childers, was able to get a called strike three upon review (initiated by catcher Darrien Miller) to escape the inning unscathed.
Both teams went down in order in their final at-bats, and the Brewers locked up another win to push them to 4-4 this spring.
Ortiz and Rengifo were the big hitters offensively, as Ortiz went 3-for-3 with three singles, two runs scored, and a steal, and Rengifo went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored on his homer. Five other Brewers collected hits in the win, including doubles from Bauers and Turang.
Shane Drohan picked up the win in his Brewer debut, pitching two scoreless innings with three strikeouts. Blake Holub got the save with three strikeouts in the ninth, while Bowman, Easton McGee, Rom, and Childers also had scoreless outings. The two runs went to Sproat and Uribe.
The Crew will look to make it five straight and move over .500 tomorrow, as they’ll stay home to take on the Reds. First pitch in that one is at 2:10 p.m. CT on Brewers TV and the Brewers Radio Network.