Brewers: Plenty of positives one week into season

Dennis Semrau  —  4/08/2008 7:33 am

MILWAUKEE -- Manager Ned Yost is steadfast in his approach, no matter if his Milwaukee Brewers have won or lost on any given day.

So after the Brewers opened the season with a 5-1 record, Yost tried to keep his emotions in check following Ben Sheets' impressive 7-0 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Sunday at Miller Park.

Yost, though, couldn't keep from smiling.

"It's nice to get off to a great start, but again, we just take it day-by-day," Yost said. "We have a tough series starting on Tuesday with Cincinnati. This year we're more experienced. Some of the things I see us doing are products of that experience, which is a really good sign."

The Reds -- who won the season series 8-7 against Milwaukee last season -- are off to a 4-3 start behind solid debuts from young pitchers Edinson Volquez and Johnny Cueto. Milwaukee will get its first look tonight at Cueto, who allowed just one hit and one run in seven innings to beat Arizona in his major league debut last week. Cueto struck out 10 and was tossing a perfect game through five innings.

Cincinnati, which Sports Illustrated picked to finish ahead of the Brewers in the National League Central this season, has a new manager in Dusty Baker and also added a familiar face in closer Francisco Cordero. The hard-throwing right-hander saved 60 games for the Brewers after being acquired in 2006 from Texas in a trade.

Cordero opted to leave Milwaukee as a free agent after last season and signed a four-year, $46 million deal with the rival Reds.

"We'll have to see him but he will have to face us, too," said Ryan Braun, who has made a smooth transition from third base to left field for Milwaukee. "Hopefully, if we continue to play good defense and continue to get good starting pitching we will be in good shape."

Without Cordero, as well as reliever Scott Linebrink, who signed as a free agent with the Chicago White Sox, the Brewers were forced to revamp their bullpen.

After serving up a three-run homer on Opening Day, new closer Eric Gagne tossed a 1-2-3 ninth inning on Saturday to give Milwaukee its third save -- all from different pitchers -- in six games.

David Riske, signed as a free agent out of Kansas City, notched his first save in the season opener while former Pittsburgh Pirates closer Salomon Torres added a three-inning save on Friday.

Guillermo Mota, who pitched for the New York Mets last season, rounds out the rebuilt bullpen, which retained Derrick Turnbow and lefty specialist Brian Shouse.

"I like my bullpen. I've got a lot of options," Yost said. "No matter what inning or who I go to, I've got someone with experience. That's a good feeling to have."

Milwaukee roared out to a 24-10 start last season before eventually giving up its 8 -game lead in the NL Central and finishing second, two games behind the Chicago Cubs. The disappointing finish to a breakout season served as motivation for the Brewers to take the next step in their conversion from doormats to playoff contenders.

Off-season free agent acquisition Jason Kendall said he noticed a determination to build on last season when he joined the club in spring training.

"It's a very professional group of guys," said the 33-year-old catcher. "That's rare in such a young group of guys. It's neat to see."

Yost likes what he has seen in Kendall, too.

While the detractors viewed the aging California native's signing as a mistake, in reality, Kendall has been a breath of fresh air for the pitching staff.

"Jason is amazing behind the plate and overall, really," pitcher Carlos Villanueva said after he picked up his first victory of the season in Milwaukee's 13-4 win in its home opener on Friday at Miller Park. "I feel real comfortable with him. He's a guy who really cares about the pitching staff. He's a defensive player first and he's a very good offensive player as well. We just love having him behind the plate."

Kendall hasn't been too shabby at the plate either, leading the league in hitting with a .467 batting average. Hitting in the ninth spot in the batting order, Kendall has four doubles and has helped the Brewers average six runs per game this season.

He has also been a difference maker on defense, the club's major point of emphasis in the off-season. In Wednesday's 5-4 win over the Chicago Cubs, Kendall stymied a rally when he threw out Aramis Ramirez to complete a strike out and caught stealing double play to end the inning.

"That's my job, to call a good game and help the team where ever I can defensively," said Kendall, who split time with Oakland and the Cubs last season. "It didn't take long to get on the same page with the pitchers and (pitching coach) Mike (Maddux) has a plan. It's going to be a fun season."

As a former big league catcher, Yost has a unique perspective on Kendall's performance. He hasn't been disappointed.

"Jason Kendall has done one heck of a job. This is what we envisioned when we got him," Yost said. "We got a guy who could be a leader behind that plate and work with these pitchers and get them through the game. This was a huge pickup for us. He does his homework so they're both on the same page. They know what they want to do and how they want to do it."

Dennis Semrau  —  4/08/2008 7:33 am