NewsPrince reflects on Home Run Derby
Milwaukee (46-43) at Cincinnati (42-46), 6:10 p.m. CT
By Steve Gartner / MLB.com
07/17/09 1:03 AM ET
CINCINNATI -- Prince Fielder showed he still had his winning home run stroke Thursday against the Reds with one swing of the bat. After he won the 2009 Home Run Derby, Fielder hit his 23rd home run to put the Brewers up 3-0 in the third inning. Yet looking back at his experience at the All-Star Game, he said what he enjoyed the most was sharing the moment of winning with his children. "That's something I'll be able to watch all the time even when I get older," Fielder said of spending time on the field with his children. "That was more the cool part about it than being able to win." Fielder said he didn't try any different approaches in preparation for the Derby. Teammates and fellow All-Stars Ryan Braun and Trevor Hoffman also got to experience the win with Fielder and made sure to congratulate him after his victory. "They were happy for me," Fielder said. "Ryan came up to me and we did our high five." After the All-Star Game, Fielder said he was sore from all the swinging. But that soreness quickly faded. "By the time I got in the box, I was so excited the adrenaline took over," Fielder said. "Then after the game, I was sore again." During the game, Fielder had an RBI double that put the National League ahead 3-2 in the second inning. With an impressive performance in the All-Star Game behind him, is he moving to the next level of stardom? "That's something for you guys to figure out," Brewers manager Ken Macha said. "He's a pretty darn good hitter. He's a pretty darn good player." This season he has hit .315 with 23 home runs and 81 RBIs. Pitching matchupMIL: RHP Jeff Suppan (5-6, 4.70 ERA)
The Brewers and Reds will have played each other nine times before Suppan faces his first Cincinnati batter in this game. He's 4-3 against the Reds in 16 career starts despite a 5.67 ERA, his highest mark against any NL Central opponent. But he has been an outstanding pitcher this season on the road, going 4-1 with a 3.63 ERA and a .279 opponents' average in 10 starts. Compare that to Miller Park, where Suppan is 1-5 with a 6.12 ERA and a .322 opponents' average in eight starts. CIN: RHP Bronson Arroyo (9-8, 5.38 ERA)
Arroyo cruised on Friday with four-hitter and a 3-0 shutout of the Mets at Citi Field in his final start before the All-Star break. With no walks and five strikeouts, he could not have had a more dominant outing. Only one of the four hits was solid, and Arroyo retired 15 of his first 16 batters in the game. Of the 31 batters he faced with his 115 pitches, 15 were retired with ground balls. No Mets batters reached second base all night. Tidbits
Braden Looper collected a career-high three hits in Thursday's game against the Reds. ... Fielder has hit safely in 14 of his last 16 games. ... Reliever Mark DiFelice made his first Major League plate appearance in the seventh inning of the Brewers' 9-6 win over the Reds. ... The Brewers are now 22-21 on the road this season Tickets
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• Saturday: Brewers (Manny Parra, 3-8, 6.78) at Reds (Aaron Harang, 5-9, 4.18), 6:10 p.m. CT
• Sunday: Brewers (Yovani Gallardo, 8-7, 3.22) at Reds (Johnny Cueto, 8-6, 3.62), 12:10 p.m. CT
• Monday: Brewers (Mike Burns, 2-2, 5.54) at Pirates (Ross Ohlendorf, 7-7, 4.64), 6:05 p.m. CT
Steve Gartner is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
