Brewers top Reds 5-2

WP: Chase Anderson (8-7); LP: Homer Bailey (1-11); Save: Jeremy Jeffress (5); Homeruns: Cin - Eugenio Suarez (28), Philip Ervin (4); Mil - Christian Yelich (20), Travis Shaw (25)

a Homer-ish Box Score

Brian Anderson returned to the TV booth tonight and pointed out that in 15 starts for Homer Bailey this season the Cincinnati Reds (55-70) were 14 games under .500; after the conclusion of the game it is now 15 games under for both. The Milwaukee Brewers (70-57) topped the Redlegs 5-2, deciding after four innings of singles and walks that the long ball would work better against Bailey.

Brewers’ starter Chase Anderson threw some very bad pitches in the second inning; he left a change-up down the middle to Eugenio Suarez and the Reds’ star third baseman crushed it way out to left center to put Cincy up 1-0. One out later a Chase fastball ended up down the middle instead of up and in, and Phillip Evers deposited it into the Brewers’ bull pen to make it 2 zip.

But Chase worked six total innings and never gave up another base runner, allowing the two runs on two hits with no walks and six k’s.

Milwaukee had baserunners against Bailey all night. Lorenzo Cain was plunked (again) with one down in the first and stole second but was stranded. A two out walk to Jonathan Schoop (no, really - and believe it or not, that is his second as a Brewer) was followed by a Manny Pina single, but Anderson fanned on a 3-2 pitch that was off the plate (but probably would have been called strike three) to end that frame.

Two singles in the third produced nothing, and a lead-off single in the fourth by Ryan Braun was erased on a double play from Schoop. Christian Yelich led off the fifth and fell behind 0-2, but a Bailey curve ball went out into the second deck in left for Yeli’s 20th dinger of the season, and the Crew was on the board.

Chase kept mowing down the Reds, and Jesus Aguilar grounded a two strike pitch into right leading off the sixth ahead of Travis Shaw. Travis broke his bat falling behind 0-2, got a new one and discovered a crack in that, and got another bat. BA called it - he said THAT was the bat Shaw needed, and he was right:

Travis’ 25th long ball put the Crew up 3-2, and the Reds were done.

A two out single by Pina in the sixth allowed the Brewers to pinch-hit Orlando Arcia for Anderson (although Chase was coming out anyways), and Josh Hader took over for the seventh. He worked two innings a day after saving yesterday’s 2-1 win, getting six up and six down with three strikeouts.

Milwaukee tacked on two insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth for the final margin. Ryan Braun led off with a walk off of ex-Brewer Jarred Hughes, and Keon Broxton pinch-hit for Hader (again, he was coming in for Braun in the 9th defensively, so why not?) and Keon tripled down the right field line to score Braunie and put the home nine up 4-2. Pina followed with a drive to deep center off of the ground-ball specialist, and Broxton scored without a throw. 5-2 Crew.

Flipping the script from Sunday (when Jeremy Jeffress worked two innings before Hader’s save), Craig Counsell went with Jeffress for the one inning save opp. The Reds had their first two base runners of the night that didn’t just trot around the bases, on a lead off single and a one out walk, but Scooter Gennett bounced into a game-ending double play from Mike Moustakas to Hernan Perez (another defensive replacement) to Aguilar to finish things off.

The DP wasn’t routine...Moose had to wait for Perez to get to second (he was pulled over for Gennett), and actually made the throw before Hernan got to the bag. LBR caught it just prior to getting to the bag, stepped on it, and threw in one motion to get Scoot by a step at first.

So everyone did their jobs tonight...Shaw with the homer as the starter at second; Perez with the good play to end it; Braun with good speed around the bases for the fourth run and Keon providing the triple before coming in as a defensive replacement; Arcia with a fine play as a defensive replacement on a slow roller on the first play after he came in; and, well Schoop did draw that walk, and had a nice play at short on the first batter of the game.

Tomorrow has Junior Guerra going for the Crew. Juni G is 6-8 with a 3.73 ERA and got hit hard in his last start by the Cubs. The Reds have Sal Romano (7-10, 5.31) starting.

Game Notes:

• The Brewers had twelve hits and at least one base runner in every inning.
• Aguilar had three singles and a run, and Pina two singles and the sac fly in his return from his injured shoulder.
• Between Anderson and Hader the Brewers retired twenty straight Reds after Ervin’s homer and up to the ninth inning.
• After striking out just three times yesterday, the Crew fanned just four times tonight. I’m not a betting man, but I’m guessing the two day total of seven is a season low.