Thanks to the Brewers Media Relations Department...

The Milwaukee Brewers today purchased the contract of 3B Ryan Braun from Triple-A Nashville. He will wear uniform #8 and will be making his Major League debut. He is expected to join the team tomorrow in San Diego.

Braun, 23, was selected by the Brewers in the first round (fifth overall) of the 2005 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Miami. He batted .342 with 10 HR, 22 RBI and 4 stolen bases in 33 games for Nashville this season. He entered the season as the second-best prospect in the organization according to Baseball America, behind only RHP Yovani Gallardo. Braun was a non-roster invitee to spring training and batted .353 (12-for-34) with 5 HR and 15 RBI in 11 games before he was returned to minor-league camp on March 19.

Braun was named 2006 Brewers Minor League Player of the Year as he batted .289 with 22 HR, 77 RBI and 26 stolen bases in 118 games between Class-A Brevard County and Double-A Huntsville last season. Following the season, he played for the Scottsdale Scorpions of the Arizona Fall League, where he was named to the All-Prospect Team, batting .326 with 6 HR, 25 RBI and 4 stolen bases in 25 games.

Photo: Bill Richardson, Baseball Digest Daily

Ryan Church hit 2 home runs and drove in 6 for the Nationals on Wednesday

• Luis Castillo had 3 hits, and Justin Morneau homered as the Twins defeated the Rangers, 5-3. Boof Bonser allowed 2 runs over 5 innings and struck out 6 for Minnesota. Kenny Lofton had 3 hits and scored twice, and Mark Teixeira added 3 hits and 2 RBI of his own for Texas.
• Magglio Ordonez hit 2 solo home runs, and Curtis Granderson went 2-for-3 with a home run, 2 walks, 2 runs scored, and 3 RBI as the Tigers held off the Angels, 8-7. Ivan Rodriguez also contributed 3 hits for Detroit. Gary Matthews Jr. had 3 hits, and Orlando Cabrera had 3 hits and a home run for the Angels.
• Johnny Damon, Derek Jeter, and Doug Mientkiewicz each had 3 hits, and Hideki Matsui contributed 2 hits, a home run, and 3 RBI as the Yankees jumped all over Curt Schilling en route to an 8-3 win over the Red Sox. Andy Pettitte allowed just one run in 7 innings for New York.
• Chase Utley went 3-for-5 with a triple, home run, a walk, 2 RBI, and 2 runs scored, and Abraham Nunez went 2-for-3, doubled, walked 3 times, and scored 3 times as the Phillies edged the Marlins, 8-7. Dan Uggla doubled, tripled, homered, scored 3 times and drove in 3 runs for Florida in the loss. Hanley Ramirez also had 3 hits, a homer, and 3 RBI for the Fish.
• Steve Trachsel allowed 2 runs on 5 hits over 6 innings, and Brian Roberts went 3-for-3 with 2 walks and a stolen base to lead the Orioles to a 5-2 win over the Blue Jays.
• Jose Guillen had 4 hits and 2 RBI, and Miguel Batista gave up just one run in 6 innings as the Mariners had their way with the Devil Rays, 5-1.
• Ryan Church doubled, hit 2 home runs, and drove in 6, and Jason Simontacchi pitched 5 + strong innings to help the Nationals beat the Reds 12-7. Ryan Freel had 3 hits, a double, a home run, and scored 3 times for Cincinnati.
• Oliver Perez pitched 7 scoreless innings, and David Wright hit his 8th home run of the year as the Mets shut out the Braves, 3-0.
• Mark Grudzielanek had 3 hits, doubled, homered, scored twice and drove in 3 runs, and John Buck hit a double, a home run, walked, and drove in 2 as the Royals exploded for 14 hits on their way to an 11-7 win over the Indians. Kansas City has now won 3 in a row.
• Kip Wells allowed just one earned run over 7 innings, and David Eckstein, Chris Duncan, and Jim Edmonds all hit home runs as the Cardinals beat the Pirates, 5-3.
• Chad Gaudin pitched 7 1/3 scoreless innings, and Hiram Bocachica homered and drove in 2 runs as the A’s blanked the White Sox, 4-0.
• Jeff Francis scattered 5 hits over 7 innings, and Ryan Spilborghs had 2 hits, a double, and 2 RBI to lead the Rockies to a 2-0 victory over the Diamondbacks. Doug Davis pitched 7 solid innings, and Mark Reynolds had 3 hits for Arizona in defeat.
• Kevin Kouzmanoff went 2-for-3 with a home run and 2 RBI, and David Wells gave up just one run in 7 innings of work as the Padres nipped the Cubs, 2-1. Mark DeRosa went 4-for-4 with a double, a triple, and an RBI, and pitcher Sean Marshall allowed just 2 runs on 4 hits for Chicago.
• Brad Penny shut down the Milwaukee offense for 7 innings, and Russell Martin doubled, walked and drove in 4 runs as the Dodgers coasted to a 5-1 win over the Brewers. Luis Gonzalez added 3 hits, a double, an RBI, and a stolen base for Los Angeles.
• Barry Zito pitched 4-hit ball over 7 innings, and Randy Winn went 2-for-3 with a double, 2 walks, 2 RBI, and 3 runs scored as the Giants won their 4th in a row by beating up the Astros, 9-1. Benjie Molina also had 2 hits and 4 RBI for San Francisco.  

BDD Players of the Day – Florida’s Dan Uggla and Washington’s Ryan Church