Cincinnati takes down the Brewers 9-4 as Jesse Winker hits three homers in the game

The Milwaukee Brewers took on the the Cincinnati Reds in the first of a 3-game series this evening. The outcome of this affair was just like it has been most games in May: a loss. With their 9-4 loss to Cincinnati tonight, the Brewers are 4-13 over their past seventeen games.

Things got off to a troublesome start in the bottom of the first. With Adrian Houser on the mound for the Brewers, the Reds put three on the board early. Jesse Winker led the inning off with a single. Tyler Stephenson joined Winker on the bases via a free pass. Everyone came around to score as Tyler Naquin launched his tenth home run of the season.

The Brewers did get one back in the top of the second, but they had an opportunity to get more than the one run put failed in the endeavor. With one out in the inning, Daniel Vogelbach singled, and Travis Shaw and Jackie Bradley Jr. both walked to load the bases. Milwaukee cashed in the one run as the next hitter, Luis Urias, drew the bases loaded walk. Unfortunately the next two Brewers’ hitters failed to come through.

The Reds scored again in the bottom of the third. For the second time in the evening, Adrian Houser was torched by the long ball. This time it was off the bat of Jesse Winker, and it would not be the last time for Winker on this night. At this point the Reds only had four runs, and Winker had just one homer.

Winker added another in the bottom of the fifth. Again off Houser, the Reds outfielder went deep just as Eric Karros indicated that the Brewers’ starter had nothing that could get him out. Cincinnati added another run in the inning as well. With the bases loaded, Tucker Barnhart scored Tyler Stephenson from third with a sacrifice fly.

Milwaukee tried to come back in the top of the seventh. JBJ led the inning off with a single, and he would motor into third as Luis Urias doubled. JBJ would score on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Billy McKinney. Kolten Wong would be hit by a pitch and end up at third when Lorenzo Cain doubled. Urias scored on the LoCain extra base hit. Wong would score on a ground out by Christian Yelich, and all of a sudden it was a ball game. It even seemed as the momentum was turning the Brewers’ way as evidenced by this play by Cain in the bottom half of the same inning.

Alas, the Reds’ hitters dashed those dreams quickly. With two outs, Josh Lindblom walked Eugenio Suarez and Tucker Barnhart. Kyle Farmer followed up with a single that scored Suarez, and Jonathan India followed that with a single that scored Barnhart.

The Reds tacked on one more in the bottom of the eighth. That run came via the long ball, and the long ball came from...you guessed it, Jesse Winker. It was his third of the night and eleventh of the season. Reds’ fans cheered “MVP” as the he rounded the bases, and the Brewers were just moments away from a 9-4 loss that would put them two games below .500.

These two teams play again tomorrow at 3:10 CT. Brett Anderson is scheduled to start for the Brewers, while Sonny Gray gets the nod for the Reds. The game can be heard on WTMJ 620 and Brewers Radio Network. It can also be seen on Bally Sports Wisconsin.