Brewers 5, Reds 4
All-Star second baseman Rickie Weeks smacked his 16th homer and the host Milwaukee Brewers continued their Miller Park dominance with a 5-4 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday night.
Milwaukee improved to 31-13 at home by taking the opener of the four-game series. Weeks, a first-time All-Star who’ll start Tuesday’s showcase, lined a three-run homer in a four-run fifth that put the Brewers ahead for good and reached base his first three times up.
Chris Narveson (6-5) went six innings, allowing two runs on seven hits for the victory. John Axford got his 23rd save in 25 chances despite allowing a ninth-inning solo homer to Ramon Hernandez.
The Reds had runners on first and third when Axford got Brandon Phillips on a comebacker to end it.
The Reds had won 22 of 27 from their NL Central rivals entering the series. But Homer Bailey (3-4) was touched for eight hits and five runs in six innings and dropped his fourth straight decision.
Brewers All-Star outfielder Ryan Braun missed his fifth straight game with an inflamed tendon behind his left knee.