Rookie Andrew Abbott scattered seven hits over six scoreless innings to best Brewers ace Corbin Burnes, and the visiting Cincinnati Reds held on for a 4-3 victory at Milwaukee on Tuesday night.
The Reds, who had lost five straight to Milwaukee, evened the series to pull back to within a half-game of the front-running Brewers in the NL Central.
After the Brewers stranded runners in each of the first eight innings, Christian Yelich pulled Milwaukee within 4-3 with two outs in ninth with a three-run homer, his 15th homer of the season, off Daniel Duarte, who relieved to open the inning.
Alexis Diaz, who gave up Yelich's walk-off single in a 3-2 loss on Monday, came on and gave up an infield single to William Contreras on a play overturned on review. Pinch-runner Tyrone Taylor stole second, and Willy Adames was hit by a pitch, but Diaz got Andruw Monasterio on a fly to center for his 30th save in 31 chances.
The Reds scored twice in the fourth off Burnes (9-6) and got a two-run homer from Will Benson in the ninth.
Abbott (6-2), struck out nine and walked one, lowering his ERA from 2.10 to 1.90. The 24-year-old left-hander has allowed two runs or fewer in eight of his 10 starts.
Ian Gibaut and Lucas Sims each followed with a scoreless inning as the Reds improved to 3-9 this season against Milwaukee.
Burnes allowed two runs on three hits over six innings, but walked one and hit a batter, each of whom scored.
Burnes, who had won his last four starts with a 1.33 ERA, with two of those starts against the Reds, allowed just an infield single through the first three innings.
TJ Friedl was hit by a pitch to open the fourth, and Matt McLain walked. Jonathan India's one-out bouncer over the third base bag ticked off the glove of third baseman Monasterio for a run-scoring single. Joey Votto followed with an RBI single to center to make it 2-0.
Benson put the Reds up 4-0 in the ninth with his seventh homer, a two-run shot off Bryse Wilson. It came after Spencer Steer was hit by a pitch to open the inning.
--Field Level Media