Last call

• Juan Francisco is working to simplify the mechanics of his swing and limit strikeouts, but still has that trademark power. Francisco hit a pair of home runs in Thursday's exhibition opener, a good start to Francisco's fight with Mark Reynolds and Lyle Overbay for the first base job.

"We don't have anybody like that," Roenicke said. "Reynolds has got big-time power, but I don't know anybody in the game that has this kind of power."

Ryan Braun and Mitch Haniger also homered against Oakland. Braun was playing his first game off last year's season-ending suspension.

• Two left-handed newcomers, Zach Duke and Will Smith, had solid debuts against the A's. Non-roster invitee Zach Duke struck out a batter in a perfect inning, and Will Smith worked around an error and four hits in two scoreless innings. Duke struck out one batter and Smith whiffed three.

• Local forecasters are calling for a 100 percent chance of rain on Saturday, when the Brewers have split-squad games scheduled against the Dodgers and D-backs, so Roenicke is making alternative plans to keep pitchers on track. Kyle Lohse will remain scheduled to face the Dodgers on Saturday but others slated to work that day, including Michael Fiers, who was originally scheduled to start against the D-backs, will work in a four-inning intrasquad game instead. Johnny Hellweg, Hiram Burgos and Ariel Pena will also throw in that game.

"We're hearing there is a good chance we'll be rained out," Roenicke said.

If Lohse and the Brewers are indeed rained out, he could throw a simulated game in the covered batting cage at Maryvale Baseball Park instead.