Five runs batted in, including two homers, by Milwaukee’s Jackson Chourio led the Brewers to an 8-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds before 25,778 at American Family Field.
Milwaukee scored two runs in the third and five more in the fourth to take a big lead that Cincinnati was unable to overcome. Of their last 49 games against the Brewers, the Reds have won only 14. Within that terrible record is the loss of 11 straight series to their National League Central Division foe.
The Offense
The box score line for the struggling Cincinnati offense: 5-for-31, three walks, 11 strikeouts.
In the top of the fourth, with the Reds down 2-0, Gavin Lux and Jeimer Candelario drew two-out back-to-back walks from Brewers starter and winner Chad Patrick to give the Reds an opportunity. But Christian Encarnacion-Strand struck out swinging to end that hope.
Spencer Steer led off the top of the fifth with his first homer to make the score 7-1 Milwaukee at that point.
The Reds scored off righty Grant Anderson in the eighth on a leadoff double by Jake Fraley and an RBI single by T.J. Friedl.
No Reds batter had more than one hit.
The Pitching
Cincinnati pitching’s box-score line today: 8 innings, 8 hits, 8 runs (all earned), 3 walks and 5 strikeouts.
Starter Carson Spiers held the Brewers scoreless through the first 2 1/3 innings. Following a double by Brice Turang that put runners at second and third in the third inning, Jackson Chourio hit a sacrifice fly to right for a 1-0 Brewers lead. Christian Yelich followed with a single to score Turang to put Milwaukee up 2-0.
Sam Moll replaced Spiers with one out and runners on second and third in the fourth inning. On Moll’s first pitch, a passed ball by catcher Austin Wynns allowed a run to score to make it 3-0 Brewers. On the next pitch, Milwaukee’s Oliver Dunn laid a bunt down the first-base line that might have gone foul, but Encarnacion-Strand fielded it and tagged Dunn, scoring Milwaukee’s fourth run. A walk and a base hit later put runners on first and third, and Chourio put the dagger into the heart of the visitors with a three-run blast down the left-field line that made it 7-0 in favor of the home team.
Brent Suter pitched two scoreless innings, followed by Ian Gibaut, who allowed Chourio’s second homer of the game, a solo shot in the seventh. Graham Ashcraft pitched a scoreless bottom of the eighth.
One Fan’s Thoughts
It’s very difficult after five losses in the last six games to remain optimistic, even for this 50-plus-year diehard. I’ve been watching Reds hitters swinging at many pitches outside the strike zone and wondering what is up. But the old saying goes, check the back of the guy’s baseball card to determine what kind of baseball player he is. These first 10 games don’t feel like a small sample size, but they are. We just have to hang in there and hope they start hitting like their baseball cards say they should.
I’d like to see the front office reward players who are producing, and in this case, I specifically mean at Louisville. Will Benson and Noelvi Marte are crushing it at Class AAA, and I would certainly have no problem with replacing the struggling Fraley and Candelario in right field and third base, respectively. Candelario certainly isn’t going to the minors, but he’d be on the bench and not hitting (emphasis on NOT hitting) in the middle of the lineup.
Having Matt McLain, Tyler Stephenson and Austin Hays out has certainly hurt. Sam Moll certainly is not pitching like we’ve seen for the past year and a half. He has two options left, and he needs to go to Louisville and figure things out.
Up Next for the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds at San Francisco Giants
Monday, April 7, 9:45 p.m. ET
Hunter Greene (0-1, 2.25 ERA) vs. Logan Webb (1-0, 3.00 ERA)
