NewsShakeup in the works at third base
Milwaukee (31-23) at Atlanta (26-26), 6:30 p.m. CT
By Jeff Shain / Special to MLB.com
06/05/09 1:19 AM ET
MIAMI -- Hoping to stir up some offensive production from his third-base options, Brewers manager Ken Macha indicated change is in the offering when the team hits Atlanta to begin a three-game series Friday night.Rookie Mat Gamel was an early arrival for extra work at the position before Thursday night's 4-3 loss to the Florida Marlins. With the Brewers expected to face three right-handers in Atlanta, Macha said Gamel figures to get the nod.
"He's got a lot more questions than we ironed out," Macha said. "But he'll probably get a majority of [time] in Atlanta at third. That's one of the reasons I wanted to get him out here early."
Bill Hall has started 38 of the Brewers' first 54 games at third base, but is mired in a brutal slump. Thursday night's 0-for-3 performance lowered his average to .211, including 1-for-12 in the Marlins series.
Macha might have made the move one night earlier, but Hall carried a 4-for-6 career mark against righty Josh Johnson into Thursday's contest, including a pair of homers. But the magic ended, and Hall ended the night with a strikeout and a pair of groundouts.
"I try to give everyone a fair shake," Macha said. "I've put it out there for him."
Hall continues to hit left-handers well -- his .317 average ranks second on the team. Against righties, though, Macha appears ready to see what Gamel (.264) and Casey McGehee (.258) can do with more at-bats."McGehee is swinging the bat pretty well," Macha continued. "He'll get some playing time at third."
Gamel has made six starts at third this season; McGehee started twice.
With Thursday's rainout against the Cubs, Atlanta pushed everyone ahead in its starting rotation. The Braves still will send an all-righty set against the Brewers -- Jair Jurrjens in the opener, followed by Javier Vazquez on Saturday and heralded debutante Tommy Hanson on Sunday.
Thursday's loss dropped the Brewers (31-23) into a tie with St. Louis for the National League Central lead, but at least they were able to ease up a bit on their beleaguered bullpen.
Dave Bush's six-inning outing -- after taking a shot off his right elbow from Hanley Ramirez's first-inning line drive -- was the first time since last Friday that a Milwaukee starter had gone that long.
Mitch Stetter pitched two-thirds of an inning, and Todd Coffey picked up the final four outs in the loss.
It was a welcome break for a bullpen that had pitched 20 innings in the previous five days and made two roster moves in the process.
"As long as I felt capable," Bush said, "I wanted to continue."
"Dave Bush was just unbelievable," Macha said. "He was hit in the soft tissue, but he kept it in a [compressive] sleeve and kept it warm. Those last outs he got -- he said that was about it for him."
Pitching matchupMIL: RHP Yovani Gallardo (5-2, 3.18 ERA)
Gallardo struck out the side in the first inning and finished with nine strikeouts in Sunday's 5-2 win over Cincinnati. The 23-year-old started stellar, retiring eight of the first nine batters via strikeout, but struggled with his command and was pulled after 5 1/3 innings. He allowed seven hits and two runs -- one earned -- while walking two. Gallardo made his only career start against the Braves in September 2007, when he received a no-decision after allowing two runs on three hits over seven innings while striking out seven.
ATL: RHP Jair Jurrjens (5-2, 2.59 ERA)
Jurrjens received the run support he had been seeking all season but struggled in the 88-pitch outing against the Diamondbacks in his last time out, on May 29. Against Arizona, he was charged with eight hits and five runs in five innings. He had gone at least six innings in his four previous starts and seven of his last eight before the outing in Arizona.
Tidbits
Prince Fielder's RBI triple in Thursday's fourth inning was his second of the year. That already ties his career best, set in each of the past two seasons. His other triple came April 27 against Pittsburgh. ... LF Ryan Braun has hit safely in six of his past seven games, going 9-for-28 (.321) with two homers. ... Mike Cameron struck out all four times Thursday, including two on called third strikes. He came into the night 2-for-4 in the series.
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• Saturday: Brewers (Jeff Suppan, 3-4, 5.09) at Braves (Javier Vazquez, RHP (4-4, 3.58), 6:00 p.m. CT
• Sunday: Brewers (TBD) at Braves (Tommy Hanson, 0-0, -.--), 12:30 p.m. CT
• Saturday: Off-day
Jeff Shain is a contributor to MLB.com This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
