Brewers rally in the ninth again, defeat Reds 4-3

WP: Alex Wilson (1-0)
LP: Raisel Iglesias (0-1)
SV: Josh Hader (3)

HR: None

Box Score

The Brewers started out quick tonight, but had to rally late to win.

In the first, the Brewers started out quick, with Lorenzo Cain drawing a four-pitch walk. After Christian Yelich struck out, Ryan Braun double to put two runners on base with one out. Travis Shaw then drew a walk as well to load the bases. Jesus Aguilar followed that up with a single, driving in two runs to put the Brewers up 2-0. Mike Moustakas added to that, hitting a double to score Shaw and make it a 3-0 game.

Meanwhile, Zach Davies got his first start of the year tonight. His night started out rough, walking Scott Schebler and Yasier Puig in his first three batters. Eugenio Suarez then singled to load the bases with just one out. However, he struck out Matt Kemp on four pitches and Jose Peraza on three pitches to get out of the inning.

Things settled down from there as both teams went scoreless until the fifth. In the bottom of the inning, Derek Dietrich led off the inning by getting hit by a pitch from Davies, then advanced to second on a wild pitch. After Joey Votto walked, Yasiel Puig doubled to bring in Dietrich and Votto and make it a 3-2 game. Davies finished the fifth and that’s where his night ended. He pitched five innings, allowing two runs, four hits, and four walks while striking out six. It wasn’t his strongest night, but he did work out of some tight spots and had some good moments.

Alex Cluadio took the bottom of the six and allowed singles to Peraza and Tucker Barnhart to start the inning. They advanced on a groundout to short from Kyle Farmer, then another groundout to second by Dietrich scored Peraza and tie the game at 3-3. Claudio pitched into the seventh before being replaced by Alex Wilson, who pitched the rest of the seventh and the eighth. Claudio allowed a run on two hits, while Wilson worked around a hit and recorded two strikeouts.

In the ninth, Raisel Iglesias came in to pitch for the Reds. He got a lineout from pinch hitter Ben Gamel and a groundout from Lorenzo Cain to start the inning. Christian Yelich followed, after going 0-for-4 to start the day and was looking to hit his fifth home run in the first five days of the season. He did not hit a home run, but did hit a double to extend the inning. Ryan Braun followed, and also hit a double down the left field line to give the Brewers a 4-3 lead.

Josh Hader got the ninth, looking to save the game for the Brewers. He allowed a double to pinch hitter Curt Casali to start the inning. Hader than struck out Schebler, then Votto lined out deep to left, but Gamel (who came in on defense in the ninth) caught it for the second out. Puig then hit a ball into foul territory, and Yasmani Grandal caught it to end the game and send the Brewers to 4-1.

The Brewers offense overall had a good day, recording a total of eleven hits and five walks in the game. Every starting position player got on base, led by Yasmani Grandal with a three hit day (his first three hits as a Brewer). Ryan Brun had two hits in the game, and Lorenzo Cain and Jesus Aguilar also each reached base twice. The only starter without a hit was Orlando Arcia, who remained hitless for the season (but did record a walk).

The series in Cincinnati continues tomorrow, as Jhoulys Chacin gets his second start of the season. He will face Anthony DeSclafani in the second game of the season. First pitch is at 5:40 pm.