MILWAUKEE -- If there's one thing those who follow the Milwaukee Brewers have learned in the first week of the season, it's that you better have an interesting question for Jason Kendall if you expect an interesting answer.

Kendall isn't boring on purpose. In fact, he's friendly, intelligent and, as first baseman Prince Fielder says, "He's a real ballplayer."

So when asked to explain his red-hot start with the bat, Kendall reached into his back pocket and pulled out the answer he's used all spring:

"See it, hit it, hope it falls in,'' he said. "If it doesn't, go up there next time and hope it does."

Insightful, right?

And consider this, when Kendall was asked if offseason Lasik surgery has helped him at the plate.

"You have to see the ball."

That answer drew a laugh from the assembled reporters. Even Kendall found it funny.

But the smiles on the faces of team officials have nothing to with Kendall the quipster. Instead, it's Kendall the player, who was the most pleasant surprise of a 5-1 start for the Brewers, who open a three-game series against Cincinnati Tuesday night at Miller Park.

When the Brewers signed Kendall in December, the critics said he couldn't hit or throw anymore. Well, right now he's leading the National League with a .467 average that includes four doubles from the ninth spot of manager Ned Yost's lineup. And in Wednesday's win over the Chicago Cubs, Kendall changed the momentum of the game by throwing out Aramis Ramirez on the back end of a strike 'em out, throw 'em out double play.

But it's Kendall's attitude and approach that is most impressive.

"He cares," pitching coach Mike Maddux said. "He's made more visits to the mound in a week than we had all last season."

Maddux, obviously, was exaggerating. But the point was well taken.

Hitting coach Jim Skaalen noticed during an at-bat when Kendall expertly hit behind a runner to move him to second. "But the best part of it was, instead of coming out of the box thinking he had done his job, which he had, he runs hard, beats it out and gets himself a knock," Skaalen said.

Along with Kendall, there were some other interesting developments in the Brewers' first week:

A shift to Tofu

Much has been made of Fielder's conversion to a meatless diet, and it didn't take one press box vet very long to note it in Friday's home opener when Fielder's double in the sixth inning short-hopped the wall in right center. "If he had been eating red meat ..."

But the most interesting aspect of Fielder's at-bats this season — aside from the occasional lack of bat speed — is how opposing defenses have made him a marked man.

The Cubs played a radical shift against Fielder, with second baseman Mark DeRosa playing short right field and shortstop Ryan Theriot shifted to the right field side of second base. The Giants didn't use as exaggerated a shift, but shortstop Brian Bocock played behind second base with no one on.

Fielder said the shifts haven't altered his approach, but he does keep them in mind when he's facing a pitch with two strikes.

"If I try to get singles in the holes, I might as well try to bunt," he said of attacking the shift. "But in my mind, it's a good thing to know it's open. With two strikes, it's going to help me a little more. But if I start playing into the shift, then I'm doing what they want me."

Yost believes Fielder is evolving as a hitter.

"We saw Prince last year as the power hitter," he said. "I think we're going to see Prince becoming the RBI machine and power hitter. He's a smart kid. He's smart enough to take what he's given. He's got a plan and he knows what he's doing."

Bullpen durability

Is the most striking aspect about the bullpen in the early days the fact that the Brewers had three saves in the first six games but only one belonged to closer Eric Gagne?

Nope. That's because the early signs are this is the most diverse bullpen Yost has ever had. Salomon Torres went three innings Friday to pick up the save and left Yost with a fresh batch of relievers for the rest of the series with the Giants.

Guillermo Mota showed "closer" stuff in two outings. David Riske doesn't overpower anyone but he throws strikes, gets people out and is capable of going more than one inning, as was the case Saturday. Even Derrick Turnbow, who had a classic Turnbow moment in his only appearance with a hit batter and walk to lead off the inning, has a scoreless inning on the board.

"We're going to have good guys out there even when we're down seven or eight runs," Yost said. "I guess that's what happens when you have a good bullpen."