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DENVER, COLORADO - JULY 03: Vinny Capra #18 of the Milwaukee Brewers throws out Elias Diaz against ... [+] the Colorado Rockies in the ninth inning at Coors Field on July 03, 2024 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
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Nobody earns a roster spot based on their performance in the first Spring Training game of the season but Vinny Capra wasn't going to waste a chance to make a good impression.
The infielder belted a pair of three-run home runs -- including a walk-off winner with two outs in the ninth -- as the Milwaukee Brewers opened Cactus League play with a victory over the Cincinnati Reds at American Family Fields of Phoenix.
"Vinny was great," said manager Pat Murphy. "You can call it spring training or whatever, but plays like that in a baseball game regardless, when they're all competing, it's a great performance.
"(I'm) really happy for him."
Capra, 28, spent five seasons bouncing around the minor leagues in the Blue Jays' and Pirates' organizations with just 28 big-league appearances to show for it when the Brewers claimed him off waivers in November 2023.
He spent most of 2024 at Triple-A Nashville, where he slashed .261/.348/.382 with 26 doubles, eight homers, 53 RBIs and a .730 OPS in 110 games. Capra also appeared in three games for the Brewers, who added him to their 40-man roster during the offseason to protect against losing him in the Rule 5 Draft.
"It means a lot," Capra said of his addition to the roster. "I like being here. I enjoy the staff, I enjoy everybody and I think we're a good fit."
That fit lies in Milwaukee's infield puzzle. The Brewers' biggest question mark going into 2025 is how to fill the shortstop position after WIlly Adames left in free agency.
