The Sports Xchange
Sep 5, 2017
CINCINNATI -- Scooter Gennett hit a three-run homer, and rookie right-hander Robert Stephenson allowed one run through six innings, lifting the Cincinnati Reds to a 9-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night at Great American Ball Park.
Gennett's homer was part of a five-run seventh inning as the Reds broke open a 2-1 game.
Milwaukee (72-67) failed to take advantage of the Cubs losing at Pittsburgh and remained 3 1/2 games behind them in the National League Central standings.
Travis Shaw hit a two-run homer, his 28th of the season, for the Brewers, who left nine runners on base and went 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
Cincinnati (60-79) has won the first two games of this series after losing nine of the first 13 games played this season against Milwaukee.
Stephenson (4-4) turned in another strong outing, allowing four hits with five walks and seven strikeouts.
Raisel Iglesias pitched two scoreless innings for his 25th save after entering the game in the eighth with the tying run on deck.
Brewers starter Zach Davies, who came in with a 2.13 ERA in 14 road starts, was charged with one earned run over 5 2/3 innings. Davies (16-8) left trailing 2-0.
Stephenson's deep drive to center in the third inning went in and out of Jonathan Villar's glove for an error, allowing the right-hander to reach second base.
Zack Cozart followed with a double to drive him home and put the Reds ahead 1-0.
The Brewers loaded the bases with no outs in the fourth, but Stephenson struck out Domingo Santana, Stephen Vogt, and Villar in succession to end the inning.
Cincinnati staged a two-out rally in the sixth when Gennett doubled and scored on Eugenio Suarez's single to make it 2-0.
Milwaukee fought back in the seventh with consecutive doubles by Santana and Vogt to cut the Reds' lead to 2-1 and end Stephenson's night.
The Brewers loaded the bases again with two outs in the seventh, but Asher Wojciechowski struck out Neil Walker to end the threat.
The Reds added a pair of runs in the seventh against Jacob Barnes on a bases-loaded wild pitch and a sacrifice fly by Adam Duvall to make it 4-1.
Gennett's three-run blast off Wei-Chung Wang handed Cincinnati a six-run advantage. Barnes was charged with four earned runs and uncorked two wild pitches.
NOTES: Reds recalled RHP Rookie Davis, LHP Amir Garrett, LHP Cody Reed and RHP Jackson Stephens from Triple-A Louisville on Tuesday. ... Brewers OF Quintin Berry had his contract selected from Triple-A Colorado Springs on Tuesday, and RHP Aaron Brooks was designated for assignment. ... Reds RHP Sal Romano's next start was pushed back a couple days because of a cut on his right index finger. ... Milwaukee is one win shy of its total for all of last season (73).