Brewers 4, Reds 2
Ryan Braun delivered a go-ahead two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning as host Milwaukee evened its three-game series with National League Central-rival Cincinnati.
After Mark Reynolds struck out against J.J. Hoover (1-5) to begin the eighth, Scooter Gennett was credited with his second double of the contest when center fielder Billy Hamilton and shortstop Zack Cozart failed to make a play on a soft fly ball. Braun made the Reds pay on the next pitch, lifting a fastball over the fence in right to put the Brewers in front.
Will Smith (1-0) gave up the tying run in the eighth before Milwaukee’s rally and Francisco Rodriguez tossed a perfect ninth for his major league-leading 21st save. Hamilton homered among his two hits and scored both runs for Cincinnati.
Hamilton opened the game with a ground-rule double and came across on Brandon Phillips’ single up the middle three batters later, but Cincinnati could not muster any more offense against Brewers starter Yovani Gallardo despite getting the leadoff hitter on base in each of the first three innings. Reds starter Mat Latos was dominant in his season debut, yielding only two hits in six scoreless frames.
Cincinnati's bullpen promptly wasted Latos’ strong outing as Logan Ondrusek allowed the first two hitters to reach in the seventh before giving up Khris Davis’ RBI groundout, and Manny Parra surrendered Rickie Weeks’ run-scoring single. Smith fumbled his own opportunity to hold the lead as Hamilton connected on a solo shot to left to tie it at 2-2.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Milwaukee CF Carlos Gomez delivered a seventh-inning single to extend his hitting streak to 12 games and his on-base run to 29 contests – the longest active stretch in the majors. … Gallardo, who permitted a run on six hits and matched a season with eight strikeouts in seven innings, has a 0.64 ERA over his last two outings after posting a 4.08 ERA through 12 starts. … The Reds have dropped 10 of their last 15 in Milwaukee.