Seven of the nine runs came on home runs and the Brewers nearly had more homers than the Reds had hits — four hits, three by Jose Trevino.
Making it more convincing was that the Brewers took apart the Reds’ best pitcher, left-hander Andrew Abbott.
He began the game 5-and-0 with a 1.51 earned run average. The Brewers scored five runs against him, the most he has given up this season. And he gave up two home runs, the first time any team hit more than one this season.
And the beat?
After winning Tuesday to even the series at a game apiece, the Reds were afforded a chance to remove King Kong off their shoulders.
The Brewers had won 11 straight series against the Reds. Now it’s 12.
The Brewers just keep piling it on, 29-10 in their last 39 games against the Reds that includes 19-5 in GABP.
Abbott’s perspective is that it might be a learning experience for the Reds.
“Yeah, I mean, they’re tough,” he said. “They play very clean baseball all the way around. They do the little things right to win games.”
So why are they in third place?
“I do think that sitting and watching them play, the way that they play against us, it’s a good thing to learn, what it takes to win, defense and hitting,” Abbott added.
Abbott retired the first eight and had two outs in the third when Brice Turang doubled. Andruw Montesario, hitting .155, singled home Turang.
Abbott also had two outs in the fifth when the Brewers scored two more. Turang nubbed a slow roller up the third base line for an infield hit with one out, but with two outs Jackson Chourio picked on the first pitch and dropped one into the right field bleachers.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
In the sixth, Abbott walked Rhys Hoskins and Daz Cameron, a son to former Reds outfielder Mike Cameron, hit his first home run to make it 5-0.
“Just two pitches,” said Abbott. “A cutter that didn’t move over the plate to Chourio and then a change-up up to Cameron. In all fairness, they should hit those a long way. They didn’t miss ‘em.”
Meanwhile, the Brewers started an opener, left-hander DL (Dayton Lane) Hall. He gave them three one-hit innings. Then Quinn Preister gave them five innings of one-run, two-hit innings.
Reds manager Tito Francona is making a habit of praising opposing pitchers and he did it again Wednesday.
“That first guy (Hall), they call him an opener, whatever it is, he’s got good stuff, whether they are lengthening him out or not,” he said. “Then they bring in Preister and he sinks it so well. And then he can criss-cross with the breaking ball and they just gave us a tough time.”
Francona also thought Abbott pitched well while using up 100 pitches in five innings, 72 for strikes.
“A couple of mistakes,” he said. “He is pitching with so much confidence and I think he still will. He just made two mistakes and it was four runs.
“When you watch him, he is in command of what he’s doing, throwing his change-up. ... I just think you’re not always going to be perfect.”
Trevino doubled to lead off the third, Matt McLain walked with one out and so did TJ Friedl, loading the bases.
Santiago Espinal lobbed a soft liner to second base and Elly De La Cruz hit a first-pitch soft ground ball to third, leaving them loaded.
The Reds were 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
Trevino also led the fifth with a double, tying his career high with 14 doubles. He moved to third on Will Benson’s ground ball and scored on McLain’s ground ball.
From then on, the Reds had only two more hits, a single by Benson in the seventh and a two-out single in the ninth by Trevino.
Once again, Hunter Greene landed on the injured list with his troublesome groin. He was replaced, with much fanfare, by 38-year-old veteran left-hander Wade Miley.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
“We’ll give him some work today, if possible, then he’ll start Monday in Cleveland and slip into our rotation,” said Francona before the game.
“We were waiting for him. He’s a bright light and we’re lucky to have him,” he added.
The Brewers clicked that light off in a hurry. Miley pitched the eighth and ninth and gave up four runs and six hits, including a three-run home run in the ninth to pinch-hitter Isaac Collins.
“I thought it was, hopefully, really beneficial for him for starting on Monday,” said Francona. “We are trying to figure how to get him there.
“And for not to pitch (Wednesday), it would have been really difficult,” he added. “He is still shaking off rust and we know that. Hopefully that will help him give us a good start on Monday.”
Hopefully.
NEXT GAME
Who: Arizona at Cincinnati
When: 7:10 p.m.
TV: AppleTV+
Radio: 1410-AM, 700-AM
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