Boggs, Brewers bounce Reds in exhibition, 15-2

Published 1:35 am Tuesday, March 8, 2011

The Associated Press

GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Brandon Boggs and the Milwaukee Brewers jumped all over two candidates for Cincinnati’s rotation while Yovani Gallardo breezed through the Reds’ lineup.

Boggs homered off Homer Bailey and drove in four runs, leading Milwaukee to a 15-2 win on Monday. Gallardo also struck out five in three scoreless innings on a windy day.

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“Gallardo was awesome,” Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. “In spring training, that’s as good as you can get. His stuff was great. His location was great. He’s really impressive.”

The Brewers started their 25-hit game by roughing up Bailey, who is trying to win one of two openings in Cincinnati’s rotation. He left in the third inning after giving up three consecutive hits with two down.

Bailey, who was supposed to pitch three innings, was charged with four runs and six hits.

“Homer threw the ball well,” Reds manager Dusty Baker said. “He was one out away from getting out of the inning.”

Boggs, a switch hitter, and Erick Almonte each went 4 for 5. The Brewers also knocked around Mike Leake, another rotation possibility, for four runs and nine hits in three innings.

“Leake got the ball up and they didn’t miss them,” Baker said. “They flared a bunch of balls and hit some balls hard.”

Reds pitching had been good until Monday. Cincinnati allowed just two hits in a 10-0 victory over a Chicago Cubs split-squad on Sunday.

“This game is hard to figure,” Baker said. “One day every thing goes right. The next day every thing goes wrong. I guess that’s why it’s called spring.”

Gallardo allowed two hits, and Cincinnati managed just seven for the game.

“I threw the ball pretty good. I had my fastball command on both sides of the plate,” said Gallardo, who started on opening day for the Brewers last season. “A couple of pitches got away from me up and away, but I was able to make the adjustment.”

John Axford, who replaced Trevor Hoffman as Milwaukee’s closer, struck out two in his scoreless inning.

“His velocity was better than last time,” Roenicke said. “He had a real nice fastball, threw a nice breaking ball. Then threw a real nice slider.”

Reds outfielder Dave Sappelt, who likely will start the year at Triple-A Louisville, had two hits to put him over .500, including his second home run.

NOTES: The wind was blowing out to right field at 29 mph at game time. … Joe Torre, hired Feb. 26 by Commissioner Bud Selig as executive vice president of baseball operations, was in Goodyear on Monday. … Former Reds captain Barry Larkin joined the team’s group of guest instructors.