MILWAUKEE (AP) - Ten pounds of muscle has paid off for Milwaukee’s Chase Anderson.
Anderson, added to the starting rotation this week when Matt Garza was put on the disabled list, threw five shutout innings and the Brewers beat the Chicago White Sox 5-2 on Friday night.
Anderson’s fastball has been touching 95 mph this spring after routinely throwing 90-93 last year.
“I can get down the hill with a little bit more weight,” said Anderson, who is just over 200 pounds. “As (teammate) Jimmy (Nelson) would say, ’More mass, more gas.’”
“I wasn’t looking to throw harder, I was looking to be stronger later in games,” he said.
Anderson only allowed one hit, a third-inning single by Geovany Soto, while walking one and striking out six. After Garza was sidelined Thursday with a strained right groin, the team said Anderson would slot into the fourth spot in the rotation and likely pitch Thursday against Colorado.
“His fastball was very crisp, for sure, he was beating hitters with his fastball tonight,” manager Craig Counsell said. “I wouldn’t point to that as the reason (for his success), but he feels good with his arm right now.”
White Sox manager Rick Renteria said before the contest he was happy with his team’s spring.
“We just tried to make sure that we were fundamentally as sound as we could be in leaving the camp,” Renteria said. “We worked on a lot of those small things.”
WELCOME TO MILWAUKEE
Travis Shaw homered, his fifth of spring training, in his first game at Miller Park. Acquired in a package from Boston for reliever Tyler Thornburg in the offseason, the third baseman has hit .351 with 14 RBI in 22 games.
“Great place to hit,” Shaw said of Miller Park. “Obviously, it’s different than Fenway. I think it’s going to be a very fun place to play.”
BULLPEN BATTLES
Counsell said Thursday that Tyler Cravy, Taylor Jungmann and Rob Scahill, a non-roster invitee, were competing for the final two spots in the bullpen. Cravy and Scahill each pitched a scoreless inning against the White Sox and Jungmann didn’t appear.
TRAINER’S ROOM
White Sox: RHP James Shields was set to start the game, but was replaced by minor leaguer Gregory Infante because he preferred to work out “a few kinks” in the bullpen instead of pitching against live hitters. He is scheduled to start Game 2 of the season against Detroit on Wednesday. “I’m ready to go,” he said.
Brewers: Garza was placed on the 10-day DL Friday and the team said it hoped he would begin a rehab assignment in April.
UP NEXT
White Sox: LHP Derek Holland, the team’s No. 3 starter, will pitch against the Brewers on Saturday in the team’s final tuneup before it opens Monday against Detroit. Signed as a free agent in December, Holland is 2-1 with a 5.74 ERA in four starts this spring.
Brewers: RHP Nelson will make this fifth spring appearance, fourth start, in the preseason finale before the team opens Monday against Colorado.
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