Reds 12, Brewers 9
MILWAUKEE -- Joey Votto hit a two-run home run as the Cincinnati Reds tagged right-hander Francisco Rodriguez for four runs in the ninth inning in a 12-9 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers Saturday night at Miller Park.
Rodriguez (0-3) had converted all 30 of his save opportunities this season and 35 in a row dating back to Aug. 27 of last year. But he had pitched just once -- a scoreless ninth inning Friday -- in the last 10 days and allowed a leadoff single to right fielder Jay Bruce.
Rodriguez threw four fastballs to Votto, who crushed the fourth to left field for his 25th of the season.
A passed ball allowed third baseman Todd Frazier to score, and catcher Tucker Barnhart made it a two-run game with an RBI single up the middle, bringing Rodriguez's day to an end.
Right-hander Aroldis Chapman came on for Milwaukee and worked a perfect ninth, notching his 25th save of the season while right-hander J.J. Hoover earned the victory, improving to 6-0 on the season.
The Reds jumped all over Brewers right-hander Matt Garza in the first two innings and had a five-run cushion before Milwaukee rallied and tied the game in the fifth on a triple by second baseman Scooter Gennett.
The Brewers went ahead on a sacrifice fly by catcher Jonathan Lucroy and held a 9-8 lead heading into the ninth, when Rodriguez took over.
Neither starter made it out of the fourth inning. Garza was charged with seven runs on 11 hits and a walk while striking out two in 3 2/3 innings of work. Reds starter Keyvius Sampson also lasted just 3 2/3 innings, and allowed five runs on seven hits and a pair of walks with three strikeouts.
Garza found himself in trouble early and often during his short outing.
He allowed two runs in the first and four in the second -- three of them coming on Bruce's 19th home run of the season.
Sampson gave way to right-hander Pedro Villarreal, who gave up an RBI single to first baseman Adam Lind to reduce the Reds' lead to 7-6. But Milwaukee missed a golden opportunity, loading the bases with two outs for Domingo Santana, who looked at a 94 mph fastball from Villarreal for strike three.
NOTES: Reds OF Brennan Boesch missed his seventh straight game Saturday with a sore right ankle. Manager Bryan Price said the team had hoped he'd only miss three to five games, but there was still "a lot of inflammation" in Boesch's ankle. ... Brewers RHP Tyler Cravy will pitch from the bullpen when he returns to the active roster. Cravy has been on the disabled list with a right elbow impingement since Aug. 19 but began playing catch earlier this week and is expected to return to action quickly. ... The Reds have lost five straight games to the Brewers, who lead the season series 6-5. The Brewers are trying to win the season series with Cincinnati for the first time since 2006 when they were 10-6. ... Cincinnati scored two runs in the first inning Saturday, snapping a streak of 19 consecutive scoreless innings. The Reds were trying to avoid being shut out in three straight games for the first time since April 18-21, 1989.