Baseball Chatter

• David Price is off to a good start so far without allowing a run in 14 innings through two starts. Last night he allowed two hits, walked three and struck out five over seven innings
• It took Andrew Cashner 100 pitches to get through six innings. He made 10 of his 18 outs using his slider, which he used almost twice as frequently as he did in his first start this season.
• Trey Mancini batted leadoff, replacing Chris Davis, who struck out six times with one hit in 21 at bats.

I felt like when we started, we were going to take it through the Houston series, I talked to Chris. Obviously, talked to Trey. We’ve got some people who are capable of hitting in it. I just think I really would rather somebody take it and run with it, but how do you define that? I’d love to have the same lineup every night and not even have to look up at the lineup. But it hasn’t started that way. It’s been a challenge. I like the idea of Trey getting an extra at-bat maybe. Manager Buck Showalter

Check out what happened to Ryan Braun when he tried to take advantage Lesters inability to throw out baserunners. A little too cocky?

The Brewers sold several thousand tickets to home games against the Cubs to residents of Wisconsin only, in an attempt to keep Cubbies fans away. It didn’t work at all yesterday because where there’s a will, there’s a way.

Cubs fans were present and as loud as ever when the Cubbies scored five runs on seven hits in the first three innings.

We’ll see if the plan they hatched has any positive results, I know they tried something different with ticket sales. I hope it’s a positive result for Brewers fans.

• Nate Jones and Joakim Soria combined to blow a four run lead and the White Sox lost the game to the Tigers 9-7 after 10 innings. The Tigers have come from multiple runs down to winning the game in the final at-bats twice in six games. They have scored 31 runs Nine of 31 runs have been scored in the ninth inning.
• Manager Bruce Bochy said Sandoval will get starts at third and first base. He also said this spring that Sandoval can be used as the emergency 3rd catcher. He is sticking to that claim saying he is more apt to use Nick Hundley to pinch-hit knowing he has Sandoval in reserve.

Injuries

• Christian Yelich left the game after his right oblique tightened up on him Wednesday. He sat out yesterday and will get further evaluation today. He said the discomfort started after he struck out in the bottom of the 7th, and not after he made an awkward catch in the top of the 7th…glad the brewers held on to all their outfirlders. Obliques can be tricky things for baseball players because of the torquing they do to their torso, both swinging a bat and throwing the ball. Yelich leads the team in runs scored, crossing home 6 times in 6 games, and is hitting .385/.407/.577 in the second spot in the lineup. Domingo Santana seems likely to become a regular in the lineup in Yelich’s absence. If Yelich lands on the DL — even if the injury is deemed minor, sitting him for 10 days might not be a bad idea to make sure it doesn’t get worse — it’s possible the Brewers decide to bring up a relief pitcher instead of Keon Broxton or Brett Phillips, considering their desire to eventually get to 8 relievers in the bullpen.
• Cory Knebel had to be helped off the mound after his left leg buckled. He immediately grabbed his hamstring. He was put on the 10-day DL for now and we will know more after we get the results of today’s MRI

• Mike Zunino will need more than the minimum 10 days to recover from his oblique strain. Management insists this move is to be safe rather than sorry and Zunino did not have any setbacks.

We are probably going to slow Zunino down just a bit. Our medical people just want to give him just a little bit more time instead of just firing him out there.

• Nelson Cruz has little or no swelling swelling in right ankle should be ready to come off the disabled list around the date he is first eligible. Daniel Vogelbach will probably be slotted in as designated hitter over the next six games.

Vogey has (a) track record of controlling the zone, That’s what he does . He swings at strikes. He has a good feel of what he’s doing in the box and what the pitcher is trying to do to him. He hit a couple of balls very well. Really from the beginning of spring training, that’s been his approach and he’s been aggressive. He’s got power to all parts of the field. He gets a chance here. He’ll be DHing the next few games.Manager Scott Servais

• Josh Donaldson returned to third base Tuesday after four games at designated hitter with dead arm. Not too worried with that as he has hit two homers in his last 17 at-bats.

Teams

• The Blue Jays have scored 20 runs in the final three innings (7, 8, 9) and 16 runs in the first six innings.

The Blue Jays bullpen is 3-1 with three saves in three chances and a 2.31 ERA for 23 1/3 innings. Last season they led the American League with 27 blown saves and a 4.21 ERA.

• The Reds have been held to two runs or less in three of their five games so far this season

Batters are hitting .526 against Yankees relievers when there are runners in scoring position. Yankees bats are averaging .219 overall

The Giants hit three homers in an inning at China Basin for the first time since 2007 and four in a home game for the first time since 2016.

• Red Sox starting pitchers are 4-0 with a combined .83 ERA