Reds thwart Brewer comeback, win 9-7

WP: Raisel Iglesias (3-1)LP: Dan Jennings (4-5)Save: none Homeruns: Cin - Scooter Gennett (19); Mil - Travis Shaw (26), Jonathan Schoop (18)

a Box Score full of sad news

A very winnable game escaped the Milwaukee Brewers (70-58) tonight when two ninth inning runs, keyed by a two out homer by old friend Scooter Gennett, lifted the Cincinnati Reds (56-70) to a 9-7 win.

Milwaukee built a 4-0 lead with a solid first inning at the plate. Christian Yelich had a soft single to left, and Lorenzo Cain walked. After a Mike Moustakas strikeout, Jesus Aguilar doubled to left to plate one and leave runners at second and third. Travis Shaw was called out on strikes, and the Reds intentionally walked Eric Thames to load the sacks. Singles from Erik Kratz and Orlando Arcia drove one in, and things were looking good.

Guerra breezed through the first two innings with six up and six down, but then the breeze turned into weather like what hit Cross Plains, Middleton, and the west side of Madison on Monday. It was a force of nature that Juni G couldn’t stop...not because he pitched poorly, but because of the simply incredible series of unfortunate events. Lemony Snickets ain’t got nuthin’ on Junior.

I don’t feel like enumerating all of it...there were dribblers, bloops, seeing eye grounders, errors, dropped throws that would have been outs, balls that would have been outs except they hit the umpire...if you can imagine it, it happened. When all was said and done the Reds had seven runs on nine hits, and the Brewers had two charged errors, another dropped throw, a passed ball, and five of the seven runs were unearned. The Reds had maybe two well struck balls the entire time.

After the first three of those runs scored in the top of the third, Travis Shaw drilled his 26th dinger of the season to put Milwaukee back up 5-3...then the next four Reds runs put the Cincy squad up 7-5.

Guerra actually worked another 1.1 innings, leaving after a double and a strikeout in the sixth. His final line was 5.1 innings, 10 hits, seven runs with two earned, a walk, and six strikeouts. Perhaps he deserved a better fate. Aw heck, he DID deserve a better fate.

Corbin Burnes took over in the sixth for Juni G and got the final two outs to keep the deficit at two. He added two more scoreless innings, ending with 2.2 inning so one hit, no run ball. Mr. Burnes walked one and fanned two.

Burnes work to keep the game at 7-5 paid off when the Crew rallied in the eighth. Jonathan Schoop led off with a pinch-hit homerun down the left field line to cut the deficit to 7-6, off of David Hernandez. Erik Kratz singled to center, and pinch runner Keon Broxton swiped second. After an Arcia strikeout, Cincy went with closer Raisel Iglesias. Ryan Braun (who entered on a double switch along with Burnes in the sixth), ripped a 2-2 fastball into left center for an RBI double, tying it up at 7-7.

Taylor Williams looked very good for two batters in the top of the ninth, throwing in the upper nineties with a good slider. But with two down, Craig Counsell went with lefty Dan Jennings to face lefty Scooter Gennett, and Scoot pounced on an awful slider down and in and homered out to right to salvage an 8-7 lead. Corey Knebel replaced Jennings and gave up a base hit to Eugenio Suarez and an RBI triple to Mason Williams before a K ended the inning.

Iglesias had a blown save and a win as he retired the Brewers in the bottom of the ninth, although the Crew made it interesting. Aguilar had a one out single, and Shaw flew out to the wall in center in a bid to tie for out number two. Manny Pina’s 2-2 single gave Broxton a chance, but three sliders struck him out, ending the game.

The loss keeps Milwaukee 3 games back of the Cubs, 2-1 losers to the Tigers in Detroit tonight. The Cards are in LA against the Dodgers for some late night baseball.

Tomorrow’s game is an afternoon affair. The Reds have Robert Stephenson (is his middle name Louis?), who’s record is 0-1 with a 7.94 ERA and a WHIP of 2.47. Freddy Peralta will try and take the series for Milwaukee. Freddy is 5-4 with a 4.48 ERA.

Game Notes:

• Orlando Arcia started the night with two very nice plays - the first was a little bloop over a drawn in Mike Moustakas that Lando charged, grabbed bare handed, and nipped the (very) speedy Billy Hamilton at first. Then he ranged up the middle on a slow roller and threw a strike off of the wrong foot to get Phillip Ervin by a step.
• I’m sorry. Removing Williams felt wrong.
• This one stings.