BREWERS (ss) 7, WHITE SOX (ss) 2
at Glendale, Ariz.
Saturday, March 13

Brewers at the plate: Milwaukee snapped a 1-1 tie with a four-run eighth inning highlighted by outfielder Adam Stern's go-ahead triple. Back in the third, George Kottaras, a leading candidate to be the Brewers' backup catcher, connected for a long solo home run leading off the inning. Kottaras also flew out to deep right field in the fifth, and it's that kind of power that could win him a job backing up starter Gregg Zaun. Kottaras is hitting .417 so far in the Cactus League.

White Sox at the plate: Chicago took a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Alex Rios doubled to left field and advanced on a groundout, then scored when Cole Armstrong reached first on an error.

Brewers on the mound: Starter Dave Bush needed only 45 pitches to get through four innings of work, and he avoided a scare in the bottom of the fourth when an Alexei Ramirez comebacker struck his right calf. Bush, whose 2009 season was ruined by a line drive off his pitching arm, was OK this time. He was charged with one earned run on three hits with four strikeouts. Todd Coffey relieved Bush and was sharp in two scoreless innings. He allowed a hit and struck out two.

White Sox on the mound: Aside from the Kottaras home run, Sox starter Gavin Floyd was excellent. He allowed only one other hit in four innings with no walks and five strikeouts. In six innings over his two Cactus League starts, Floyd has allowed one run on four hits with eight strikeouts. Reliever Daniel Cabrera was not nearly as effective. He walked the first batter he faced and the Brewers went on to score four runs -- all of them earned despite two Sox errors.

Worth noting: Hernan Iribarren was originally slated to play all nine innings at shortstop for the Brewers but he was claimed off waivers by the Rangers on Saturday morning. Luis Cruz played shortstop instead.

Cactus League records: Brewers 5-6; White Sox 4-5-2.

Up next: The Brewers will make their second spring visit to Scottsdale Stadium on Sunday at 3:05 p.m. CT for their third game this spring against the San Francisco Giants. Some Brewers regulars might want to fight for a spot on the travel list; Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun, Corey Hart and Rickie Weeks are a combined 12-for-33 (.364) in regular season at-bats against Giants starter Jonathan Sanchez. Of that quartet, Hart, who had Friday off, is the most likely to play.

After a few days apart while one White Sox split-squad played the Cubs in Las Vegas, the team will reunite on Sunday for a 3:05 p.m. CT full-squad game against the Reds in Goodyear, Ariz. Left-hander John Danks will start for Chicago.