Courtesy of Yahoo



Inside Pitch

Francisco Cordero said the Brewers blew their chance to keep him as
their closer by not working out a contract extension before the 2007
season.


Cordero, who set the Brewers' franchise record with 44 saves last
season, signed a free agent deal with Cincinnati in November for $46
million over four years. The Brewers had offered $42 million over the
same term.


Cordero said it never would have come to that had the Brewers given
him a contract extension in the spring of `07.


"They would have taken a risk and I would have taken a risk," said
Cordero, back in town for the Reds' three-game series against the
Brewers. "They could have had me for less money. They said they
wanted to see me pitch first."





General manager Doug Melvin said the Brewers did offer Cordero a two-
year extension that would have turned into a three-year deal because
his 2007 contract would have been torn up.


"I recall we did make a proposal, but we didn't get a counter
(offer)," Melvin said. "We never reached any type of negotiating
stage. I don't know if they gave us a chance. They never gave us a
proposal.


"They wanted more than that, and I think that's why they never
responded."


After losing Cordero, the Brewers signed free agent closer Eric Gagne
to a one-year, $10 million deal.


BREWERS 3, REDS 2 (10): The bad news is that Eric Gagne keeps giving
up home runs to blow save chances. The good news is that the Brewers
find a way to win anyway. For the second time in seven games, Gagne
allowed a game-tying homer in the ninth, this time to Cincinnati's
Corey Patterson, one strike away from ending the game. But the
Brewers rallied on Rickie Weeks' RBI single in the 10th off David
Weathers, and they have won both games in which Gagne blew saves.


Notes, Quotes

• OF Tony Gwynn Jr. sat out his fourth consecutive game with a
strained left hamstring. Manager Ned Yost gave Gabe Gross his second
start of the season in center field in place of Gwynn.


• RHP Ben Sheets' string of 15 1/3 scoreless innings to begin the
season is the sixth longest in club history and third longest by a
starting pitcher. RHP Jim Slaton went 20 scoreless to begin the 1976
season and 16 scoreless the following season.


• C Jason Kendall has hit safely in five consecutive games and is 6-
for-9 with three RBIs on the Brewers' season-opening homestand.
Kendall already has three multi-hit games.


• The Brewers have scored first in each of their seven games this
season.


• 1B Prince Fielder's six-game hitting streak ended Tuesday, but he
made two diving catches to rob Adam Dunn of hits in the Brewers' 3-2
victory over Cincinnati.


• LHP Brian Shouse has inherited five runners in his two appearances
and stranded them all. Last season, Shouse stranded 60 of 78
inherited runners (76.9 percent).


By The Numbers: 0—Runs allowed by RHP Ben Sheets in 15 1/3 innings
in his first two starts this season.


Quote To Note: "He's a lot easier to catch."—Brewers C Jason
Kendall, when asked if it was nice not to have to hit off Ben Sheets
anymore.


Roster Report

Medical Watch:


OF Tony Gwynn Jr. (tight left hamstring) left the April 3 game and
did not play April 4-8. He is day-to-day.


RHP Yovani Gallardo (arthroscopic knee surgery in February 2008)
opened the season on the 15-day disabled list. He began a rehab
assignment with Class AAA Nashville on April 4. He is expected to be
ready to rejoin the Brewers rotation in mid-April.


LHP Chris Capuano (torn elbow ligament) will try to avoid a second
reconstructive surgery with a month of physical rehab. He went on the
15-day disabled list retroactive to March 21.


LHP Randy Choate (broken left ring finger) went on the 15-day
disabled list March 20. He will be re-evaluated in early April.