Defenseless: Brewers fall to Reds 6-4

WP: Dan Straily (12-8); LP: Matt Garza (5-7); Save: none; Home Runs: Mil, Keon Broxton (8); Jonathan Villar (16); Chris Carter (34); Cinc, Joey Votto (24)

Sometimes unearned runs are hardly unearned. This was not the case tonight. The Brewers gift wrapped a four-spot for the Reds in the bottom of the third tonight at the Great American Ballpark in Cincy, and that was enough for the home team to hold on for a 6-4 win.

Red-hot Joey Votto got the Reds on the board in the bottom of the first, planting a 3-1 Matt Garza fastball deep in the right center seats. Votto ended up the game 3-4 with two runs and two batted in.

The Brewers tied it up with two down in the top of the second when Keon Broxton hooked a slider that didn’t get down or out far enough, sending it into the left field stands. Jonathan Villar gave the Brewers a brief lead with a two out opposite field shot, almost to the same spot Broxton’s landed.

Then the fourth happened. Slow catcher Tucker Barnhart hit a roller to second that Chris Carter first went after, and then retreated to first. Second baseman Villar’s flip beat Barnhart to the bag, but Carter bobbled the toss and Barnhart was safe. Then, light hitting pitcher Dan Straily (now 0-47 in his career) bunted in front of the plate. A charging Hernan Perez fielded the ball quickly, and had Barnhart easily at second, but rushed his throw, presumably in an attempt to get a double play. The throw was short and off line, and skipped past Orlando Arcia into center. First and second, nobody out, thanks entirely to the Brewers defense.

After striking out Jose Peraza, Garza hit Eugenio Suarez with two strikes. Votto had a bases loaded single, plating one; Adam Duvall golfed a double down the leftfield line, scoring two more, and Brandon Phillips’ sac fly drove in Votto for the inning’s fourth unearned run. On the flyball, Broxton and Kirk Nieuwenhuis collided in right, and Nieuwenhuis went to the ground with the ball. He got up quickly and got the ball in to Villar, but the Reds surprisingly sent Duvall to try and score. Villar’s relay had him by a mile. Maybe they were trying to make Eddie Seder feel better. 5-2 Reds.

Phillips hit into a double play while driving in a run and not getting an official at bat.

The 5-2 score held until the bottom of the eighth, when Duvall’s second double and a single from Scott Schebler brought home an insurance tally off of Blaine Boyer, leaving the Brewers down 6-2 into the top of the ninth.

The Reds still went with closer Tony Cingrani, who allowed a two run line drive homer into the seats in left, just inside the foul poll, from Carter. Cingrani then retired Broxton and Arcia to end things.

Milwaukee ended the game with four hits, three of them home runs. They walked twice, were hit by a pitch, and only struck out nine times.

Garza went six innings, giving up seven hits and the five runs, one earned. He walked none and hit one. Only two ‘Ks’ for the Count. Heh, heh, heh. Tyler Cravey and Corey Knebel each had a three-up, three-down inning.

Tomorrow night the Brewers (64-81) will send Junior Guerra (8-3, 2.96) out to try and salvage a win in Cincinnati. The Reds (62-84) will counter with Tim Adleman (2-3, 3.88).