Unwritten Rule No. 14

Apparently there is an unwritten rule in baseball regarding your September call-ups:  Even if you are not in a playoff race, if you are playing a team that is in one, you must field your “A” team. (See Giants and Reds series.)  If you are not, and are playing the Florida Marlins (76-76, 15.5 GB), for example, then it is acceptable to play whoever you want, wherever you want.

Based partially on the fact that Ryan Braun sat out due to an elbow contusion, the Brewers mixed things up a little bit on Thursday night—but ended up with the same result. For the second game in a row, Milwaukee came out slugging, defeating the Marlins 8-3 behind home runs by Corey Hart, Rickie Weeks and Prince Fielder. Hart’s was his thirtieth of the year.

The line-up featured Lorenzo Cain in the leadoff spot, with Weeks batting third. Mat Gamel got a start in left field and Luis Cruz started at shortstop.  Of the three rookies, Cruz was the most impressive, collecting two hits, including a triple for his first major league hit.  Gamel, who has limited experience in the outfield, especially in left, made a nice running catch but left the game in the sixth inning when he was hit in the foot by a pitch. He struck out twice before being replaced by Carlos Gomez. 

Sandy Rosario made his debut for the Marlins in the seventh inning and Weeks took his first pitch out of the park. Fielder followed with another home run. Of all the rookies who found playing time in this game, Rosario probably had the most memorable night. But probably not in the way that he hoped it would be memorable.

Yovani Gallardo cruised through the first six innings before running into a little trouble in the seventh inning. He would eventually give up 3 earned runs in the inning. On the night he went 6.2 innings and gave up three runs on seven hits and two walks. He struck out nine.

On Friday, the Brewers will give rookie Mark Rogers a start. It’s that time of year.

Brewers 8, Marlins 3

Game played 9-23-10