Field Level Media
May 21, 2019
Sonny Gray threw six strong innings to earn his first win with the Reds, and visiting Cincinnati beat the Milwaukee Brewers 3-0 in the opener of the two-game series on Tuesday night.
Gray (1-4) allowed five hits, struck out nine and walked four. The Brewers put their leadoff batter on base in three of the six innings against Gray but went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position in that span.
David Hernandez, Amir Garrett and Raisel Iglesias each threw an inning of scoreless relief for Cincinnati, with Iglesias earning his 10th save.
The Reds took over the National League lead in team ERA at 3.34, just ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers at 3.37.
Gio Gonzalez (2-1) started for the Brewers and went five innings, allowing three runs and three hits, striking out four and walking three.
Lorenzo Cain and Keston Hiura had two hits each for Milwaukee.
The Reds scored all of the game's runs in the first inning.
Leadoff man Nick Senzel tripled to center. Following a strikeout and a walk, Senzel came home on a wild pitch for a 1-0 lead.
Phillip Ervin followed with an RBI double to deep center to make it 2-0. A single by Jose Iglesias put runners back on the corners, and Ervin came home on a groundout by Kyle Farmer to make it 3-0.
Gray gave up a leadoff double to Cain in the first but didn't allow another hit until pitcher Brandon Woodruff pinch-hit for Gonzalez with two outs in the fifth and singled to shallow left.
Cain followed with another single, but Mike Moustakas flied out to center to end the inning.
Gray walked Ryan Braun and Yasmani Grandal to open the fourth inning, but Braun was caught stealing third with Eric Thames at the plate. Thames then grounded out and Hiura struck out to end the inning.
Both teams played without their starting right fielders.
Brewers star Christian Yelich, who leads the majors with 19 home runs, was a late scratch because of back spasms.
The Reds' Yasiel Puig injured his right shoulder making a catch in foul territory on Sunday against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers.
--Field Level Media