PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) - Mark Reynolds homered for the second straight day, one of five Milwaukee Brewers to connect in a 9-7 victory Wednesday over the Seattle Mariners, who got Robinson Cano back after a five-day absence.
Cano left the team late last week to attend to personal business in the Dominican Republic, and went 1 for 4 with two RBIs. Cano has a hit in nine of 10 spring training games and is batting .556.
Starting pitcher Wily Peralta hit a two-run drive and Logan Schafer, Khris Davis and Juan Francisco also hit solo shots for Milwaukee. Reynolds and Francisco hit theirs back-to-back in the fourth inning against Mariners starter Blake Beavan.
“You have to execute pitches,” Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon said. “You have to pitch down in the zone and we didn’t do it very well.”
Beavan and Peralta had their struggles on the mound. Beavan allowed seven runs on eight hits in 5 2-3 innings, his longest and least effective outing of spring training. Peralta gave up five runs on eight hits in his fourth spring training start, working six innings.
“It feels good. After the third inning I think I had a rhythm,” Peralta said. “Just got my work done and got my pitch count where I wanted to.”
STARTING TIME
Brewers: The Mariners did most of their damage against Peralta in the first three innings, as the right-hander settled down over his last three. He gave up one run on two hits in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.
Mariners: Beavan is competing for a spot in the starting rotation with Taijuan Walker and Hisashi Iwakuma likely to not be ready when the regular season opens.
“You’ve got to have a short term memory and just get ready for the next one,” Beavan said. “Little off today and just couldn’t recover. I had to battle through a bunch of stuff, so it was good and bad.”
NICE IMPRESSION
Brewers: Reynolds got a minor-league deal and is trying to win a spot on the roster, competing for what appears to be two first baseman spots with Francisco and Lyle Overbay. Reynolds played outfield for the first time this spring and had to borrow an outfielder’s glove from teammate Jeff Bianchi. He legged out a hustle double to go along with his home run and scored twice.
“As long as I get in the batter’s box, I don’t care,” Reynolds said of playing out of position.
“We’e trying to figure it out,” Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said of the competition for spots. “They’re always tough decisions.”
Mariners: Infielder Brad Miller is closing in on the opening-day shortstop job, going by offensive numbers. Miller tripled twice, singled and scored on a 3-for-4 day and is batting .447 (17 for 38) with four triples this spring.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Brewers: Left-hander Tom Gorzelanny is day-to-day after his return from shoulder surgery and is throwing, but has yet to appear in a spring game.
Mariners: Walker threw a bullpen session on Wednesday as he returns from shoulder soreness that has kept from pitching in a spring game.
“He threw the ball good, he felt good and that’s encouraging,” McClendon said.
UP NEXT
Brewers: Left-hander Wei-Chung Wang makes his first start Thursday against Colorado. Wang has not allowed an earned run or issued a walk in 8 1-3 innings this spring, all in relief.
Mariners: Opening-day starter Felix Hernandez will pitch in a minor-league game against the Brewers’ high Class A affiliate on Thursday in Peoria. Erasmo Ramirez will start the major league game in Mesa, Ariz., against the Chicago Cubs.
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