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MILWAUKEE -- The Brewers are banking on some late-season run production from Rickie Weeks or they would not have reinserted him into the No. 5 hole, a spot that has given the team trouble all season. Brewers No. 5 hitters entered Tuesday's game with a .632 OPS -- the second lowest in the Major Leagues to Pittsburgh's .582 -- and with 65 RBIs, tied for 24th among the 30 teams. Weeks, despite six w games football eeks lost to a left ankle injury, apparently remains a threat. In his first two games back from the disabled list, the Phillies walked him twice and he was hit by a pitch. "I think regardless of how long he's been out, they still have to be careful with how they pitch him," manager Ron Roenicke said. Pre-injury production from Weeks would be a particular boost to first baseman Prince Fielder, who games football was hitting .212 (7-for-33) in his last nine games through Sunday but had a .350 on-base percentage in that same span, with six walks, including four intentional. The combination of a high on-base percentage and a low batting average indicated that the Cardinals and Phillies were more content to pitch to the hitter behind Fielder than to Fielder himself, and perhaps that Fielder had been chasing p games football itches out of the zone. For most of the season, Fielder has defied the notion this season that a big hitter requires "protection" in the lineup. He entered Tuesday tied for second in the National League with 108 RBIs and tied for sixth with 31 homers. "I think he's staying in the zone pretty good," Roenicke said. "I still think he's having good at-bats. I think he's facing really good pitching." games football Brewers not revealing plan for Weeks MILWAUKEE -- Back in July, the Brewers' secret plan for working left fielder Ryan Braun back from a leg injury proved a rousing success. Now the club is staying similarly tight-lipped about a plan for second baseman Rickie Weeks. All that was clear Tuesday afternoon was that Weeks was in the starting lineup for a second straight game. Manager Ron Roenicke games football was unwilling to say how deep into the night Weeks would play, nor would he say when Weeks would be cleared to play all nine innings. Weeks wound up playing the first six innings, going 1-for-2 with an infield hit and a walk, before Jerry Hairston Jr. took over. "There is a plan," Roenicke said. "That would be up to me to figure out in the game. I've already talked to him about it, but there is a games football plan. ... We'll probably extend it a little farther today and see how it goes." The Brewers are conscious of exposing Weeks to too much action too soon. Before he appeared as a pinch-hitter Saturday against the Phillies and started Sunday's series finale, he had not played since severely spraining his left ankle in a July 27 win over the Cubs. Weeks' first start since then lasted only two plate ap games football pearances; he walked and was hit by a pitch against Phillies rookie Vance Worley. Roenicke deemed the outing a success. "I thought he ran real well, moved around good at second base," Roenicke said. "When he got on the second time, we had him run on a 3-2 count and we watched him run. I was impressed." Roenicke was even more impressed with how Weeks recovered from that long-awaited start. The Brew games football ers had a well-placed off-day Monday, and Weeks reported feeling only normal stiffness when he woke up that morning. "I felt good, real good [Sunday]," Weeks said. "It's always stiff in the morning, so that's fine. Ron talked to me about how it will go." Weeks turned 29 on Tuesday and tested his still-healing ankle in the bottom of the second inning. He tried to score from first base on a Casey Mc games football Gehee double and was clearly less than his usual fleet-footed self, narrowly tagged out at the plate on a perfect Rockies relay. Weeks briefly argued home-plate umpire Tim McClelland's call to no avail. Last call #149; The Brewers' probable pitcher for Sunday's series finale in Cincinnati is listed as "to be announced," and manager Ron Roenicke declined to delineate his options for that date. games football The spot in which he reinserts left-hander Chris Narveson will go a long way in defining the Brewers' plan for a potential postseason series. Narveson, who is being skipped in the rotation because of two off-days this week, was available in relief Tuesday night, Roenicke said. #149; Roenicke saw a familiar face in the Rockies dugout. His nephew, right-hander Josh Roenicke, was claimed off waive games football rs by Colorado in June after pitching previously for the Blue Jays. "I saw Josh last year when he was with Toronto, and it's always difficult when there's family on the other side because you want him to do well," Roenicke said. "Your [own] team should come first, but it's fun seeing him. He's got a nice arm, and he's a tremendous athlete. Hopefully, we won't see him out there unless he's got a re games football al big lead." games football
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