eric Estrada has rotation-worthy outing

I mean.....come on.....the guy was a star on CHiPs right?

Fighting for fifth-starter slot, righty holds Padres scoreless
By Adam McCalvy / MLB.com | 03/22/11 6:47 PM ET
PHOENIX -- Minor League right-hander Marco Estrada made a strong bid for a spot in Milwaukee's April pitching rotation, and the Brewers' offense continued to click in a 7-0 win over the Padres on Tuesday at Maryvale Baseball Park.
The Brewers entered the day with the best Spring Training batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage in the Major Leagues and backed up those numbers by knocking around San Diego starter Clayton Richard. The Padres No. 2 starter allowed seven earned runs and 10 hits in 4 2/3 innings, in what was his next-to-last spring start.
"He was just a little erratic at times with his fastball command," Padres manager Bud Black said of Richard. "We like that he got to 80 pitches. He feels good and used all of his pitches today."
Estrada, one of the players bidding to fill-in for injured Brewers ace Zack Greinke, looked much sharper. He allowed no runs and only three hits -- all singles -- in 4 1/3 innings, with four strikeouts and one walk.
The 27-year-old Estrada, who pitched briefly for the Brewers last season, is among a handful of internal candidates to make April starts in place of Greinke, who will begin the regular season on the disabled list with a cracked rib.
He'd rather not think about that competition.
"I'm trying not to, too much," Estrada said. "I'm trying to go out and do all of my lifts, throw the ball, stay in shape, keep my head down and work hard. If it happens, great. I'll be the happiest guy in the world. If it doesn't, I'll keep busting my butt and get up there eventually."
The Brewers need a fifth starter on April 6, and then again April 16 and 26 if Greinke remains sidelined.
Estrada is not even a member of big-league camp, but started Tuesday's "A" game against the Padres in place of 21-year-old prospect Wily Peralta, who recorded only one out against the Rockies last week and was shifted to a Minor League game instead.
"It felt great, especially being able to start over there. That's what I love to do," said Estrada, who had already returned to the club's Minor League complex by the time reporters tracked him down. "I felt good out there. I felt confident and I threw strikes."
Manager Ron Roenicke will confer with pitching coach Rick Kranitz before finalizing the rotation for the final week of Spring Training, but guessed that Estrada will get another "A" game start.
"[Kranitz] liked the way he pitched," Roenicke said. "His changeup was good, he had nice movement on his fastball and he threw some breaking balls that were pretty nice, too. We know he throws strikes. That's what he did for [the Brewers] last year. We know he has experience with a couple of games, so he shouldn't freak out."
As for picking Greinke's replacement, Roenicke said of Estrada, "He's definitely a possibility."
Erick Almonte started at first base in place of an ill Prince Fielder and drove in two runs for the Brewers, who also got RBIs from starters Rickie Weeks, Mark Kotsay, Yuniesky Betancourt and George Kottaras. Ryan Braun and Kottaras each scored two runs, and Kottaras had three hits, including a triple.