Brewers treat Attanasio to opening win
New owner looks on as new lineup yields big dividends
PITTSBURGH -- Maybe it was fitting for the Milwaukee Brewers' new era to open
with a day like this.
With new owner Mark Attanasio nervously looking on, the Brewers' new center
fielder, new shortstop and new utility infielder combined for six RBIs and
led Milwaukee to a 9-2 win over the Pirates in front of 38,016 fans at PNC
Park on a sunny Opening Day.
"The butterflies are finally starting to abate," Attanasio said as the
Brewers batted around in a five-run sixth inning. "It's hard to believe that
this is all real and happening."
Ben Sheets (1-0) pitched seven effective innings and improved to 3-0 in
Opening Day starts, but Monday mostly belonged to Brewers newcomers.
Jeff Cirillo, who returned to the Brewers after a five-year hiatus, got the
start at third base and went 2-for-3 with an RBI double and a solo home run
off Pittsburgh ace Oliver Perez (0-1). Rookie shortstop J.J. Hardy hit a
two-run single in Milwaukee's five-run sixth inning for his first Major
League hit and RBIs. And new center fielder Brady Clark enjoyed a stellar
debut, reaching base three times, stealing two bases, scoring three runs and
driving in two more.
"This totally exceeds my expectation," said Cirillo, a fixture in Milwaukee's
Opening Day lineups from 1996-1999, but a surprise choice on Monday. "I
couldn't have really dreamed it up. I was just hoping to make the team."
In the final year of his contract, Cirillo was released last August by the
San Diego Padres. He went to the Mexican Winter League to fix his swing
mechanics and personally called clubs looking for a job. Milwaukee gave him a
shot on a minor league contract.
"I had doubts when I got to Spring Training about what I could do and what to
expect," Cirillo said. "I didn't have any doubts today."
The Brewers are excited about their middle-of-the-order trio of Lyle Overbay,
Carlos Lee and Geoff Jenkins, but the Cirillo-Clark-Hardy threesome combined
Monday to go 4-for-10 with six runs scored and six RBIs.
"It's not going to be just those three," said Hardy, the first Brewer to make
his Major League debut on Opening Day since Paul Molitor in 1978. "A lot of
the time it will be, but at the same time we'll be able to pick them up if
they have an off day."
Cirillo's second-inning double sliced down the right-field line and glanced
off Matt Lawton's glove to score Lee, who walked in his first plate
appearance as a Brewer.
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