Reds use eight-run frame to knock off Brewers
MILWAUKEE -- Dan Straily struck out six and the Cincinnati Reds' offense exploded for eight runs in the sixth inning in an 11-5 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers Saturday evening at Miller Park.
Joey Votto went 4-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs for the Reds. Billy Hamilton, Zach Cozart, Adam Duvall, Brandon Phillips and Eugenio Suarez each had two hits, with Suarez belting a three-run home run in the decisive sixth inning.
Scooter Gennett had four hits while Ryan Braun and Martin Maldonado homered for the Brewers, who had 15 hits but lost for the seventh time in the last 10 games.
Straily (8-6) shut the Brewers out over the first five innings, but gave up a one-out homer to Braun in the bottom of the sixth. He retired just one of five batters he faced in the inning and left the bases loaded with one out for Jumbo Diaz, who loaded the bases but struck out Ramon Flores to get out of it.
Brewers starter Zach Davies (9-5) had won four straight decisions but took his first loss since June 30 after allowing five runs on eight hits and a walk with four strikeouts in five innings of work.
Hamilton led off the third with a triple to right then scored two batters later on Votto's RBI single, giving the Reds a 1-0 lead.
Milwaukee appeared to tie the game in the fourth, when Gennett singled and at first glance, beat the relay home on Hernan Perez's two-out double but a 1-minute, 50-second replay overturned the call to preserve Straily's shutout bid.
Davies cruised into the sixth but ran into trouble with three straight singles to Votto, Duvall and Phillips, the latter scoring Votto and giving the Reds a 2-0 lead.
With Scott Schebler up, a wild pitch allowed Duvall to score and after walking Schebler, manager Craig Counsell turned to the Brewers' bullpen but Michael Blazek didn't fare much better, hanging a 2-1 slider that Suarez sent to left for his 19th home run of the season.
Hamilton led off the third with a triple to right and scored two batters later on Votto's RBI single, giving the Reds a 1-0 lead.
NOTES: Brewers RHP Junior Guerra played catch for the first time Saturday as he works his way back from right elbow inflammation. Guerra last pitched Aug. 3 and is eligible to come off the disabled list next Friday. ... OF Domingo Santana will need somewhere between 20 to 30 at-bats before he's ready to return to the Brewers, manager Craig Counsell said. Santana has been out since June 10 with soreness in his right elbow and began a minor league rehab assignment earlier this week with Class A Wisconsin. ... Reds CF Billy Hamilton began the day leading the National League with 51 steals, putting him three ahead of Brewers SS/3B Jonathan Villar. ... The series concludes Sunday with Cincinnati LHP Cody Reed (0-8, 8.36 ERA) facing Brewers RHP Wily Peralta (4-8, 6.38).