Joey Ortiz hit a tie-breaking two-run homer in the eighth inning as the Milwaukee Brewers rallied to beat the visiting Cincinnati Reds 5-3 in the opener of a four-game series on Monday.
Milwaukee trailed 3-0 after five innings before scoring two runs in the sixth and tying the game on Brice Turang’s home run in the seventh.
Sal Frelick delivered a one-out single in the eighth and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Tejay Antone replaced Sam Moll (1-6) and was greeted by Ortiz’s 412-foot homer over the center-field wall.
Aaron Ashby (11-1) pitched a scoreless eighth inning and leads the majors in wins. Trevor Megill retired the Reds in order in the ninth for his 11th save.
Frelick and Andrew Vaughn had two hits apiece for Milwaukee, which snapped a two-game losing skid. Ortiz’s homer was his second of the season.
Elly De La Cruz slugged a two-run homer for the Reds, who have lost five of their last seven games.
Cincinnati claimed a 1-0 lead with two outs in the first inning against Robert Gasser on Dane Myers’ RBI double.
Myers later exited the game in the fourth inning after making a running catch on Vaughn’s fly ball and crashing into the center-field wall.
The Reds added to their lead with two runs in the fifth inning. Edwin Arroyo hit a one-out single and De La Cruz followed by depositing Gasser’s first offering over the left-center field wall. The 412-foot blast was De La Cruz’s 13th homer of the season.
Reds starter Nick Lodolo limited the Brewers to one hit over five innings while throwing 96 pitches. He walked four and struck out four.
Chase Petty entered to start the sixth inning and gave up a one-out double to Vaughn before walking Christian Yelich. Milwaukee got on the board on Jake Bauers’ single and pulled within a run when Yelich scored on Petty’s wild pitch.
The Reds put two runners on with one out in the seventh inning before Chad Patrick escaped the jam when Sal Stewart flied out and Spencer Steer struck out.
Turang tied the game with a one-out homer in the bottom of the seventh against Petty. The 418-foot shot was Turang’s 12th homer this season.
–Field Level Media
