MILWAUKEE - A strong finish to spring training meant something to the Milwaukee Brewers.
Rickie Weeks hit a two-run homer in the first inning and the Brewers beat the Chicago White Sox 5-4 on Saturday in the exhibition finale for both teams.
"Obviously, this game doesn't count, but it feels good to go out there and pitch well and hit well," Milwaukee catcher Jonathan Lucroy said.
Adam Dunn hit a solo homer in the fourth for the White Sox.
The Brewers had 12 hits, highlighted by Weeks' third home run of the spring. They used nine pitchers and really only ran into trouble in the fifth.
Chicago scratched out three runs, one earned, against Tom Gorzelanny. Throwing errors put runners in scoring position for Gordon Beckham and Dewayne Wise, who each drove in a run. Brandon Short added an RBI double, but Hector Gimenez grounded out to end the inning.
The White Sox had one hit off three relievers the rest of the way.
"We pitched very well, considering it was pretty much a bullpen day," Lucroy said. "I thought that we threw real well. Hopefully, we can carry this over into Monday."
The Brewers open the season at home against the Colorado Rockies.
Gavin Floyd, scheduled to start Thursday for the White Sox against Kansas City in the finale of a three-game series, gave up Weeks' homer.
Jose Quintana threw a scoreless second before Dylan Axelrod took over to start the third. He threw 5 1-3 shutout innings before tiring in the eighth. Axelrod, slated to start Friday against Seattle, was pulled after RBI doubles by Lucroy and Sean Halton.
Logan Schafer's run-scoring single off Matt Zaleski put Milwaukee ahead.
White Sox manager Robin Ventura wasn't too worried about Axelrod's eighth inning because the team accomplished what it set out to do with him.
"We were extending him there with him being the fifth starter," Ventura said. "He threw fine. It's good to see."
NOTES: After the game, the White Sox reassigned five players to minor league camp: RHP Ramon Troncoso, RHP Jeff Gray, C Bryan Anderson, INF Steve Tolleson and INF Josh Bell. RHP Brian Omogrosso was optioned to Triple-A Nashville. ... RHP Alfredo Figaro and OF Khris Davis won the final two opening day roster spots for Milwaukee. ... White Sox RHP Jesse Crain made the opening day roster. He had been a question mark, but his strong showing Friday night and no lingering effects of strained right adductor erased any doubt. It was his third appearance in the last five days after pitching in only three games this spring due to the injury. ... The Brewers wore uniforms designed by Ben Peters of Richfield, Minn., who won the team's Design a YOUniform contest. ... The two-game exhibition series drew 28,793.
