Brewers-Reds - Series Recap

The Brewers took two of three from the Reds at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. It was a big step forward for the Brewers as they make a run at playing in October.

Friday - Reds win 11-4: This game was pretty much over in the first inning. Brewers starting Dave Bush gave up six runs in the that inning to the Reds. All six runs came without a home run by the Reds who are right behind the Brewers in the bigs in homers this year. The final out in the inning came when Joey Votto was thrown out at homer on a single by Josh Hamilton. Bush left the game after giving up a two-homer to Ken Griffey Jr. in the second inning. His final line for the game was one inning, nine hits, eight runs and one strikeout. Bush was charged with his tenth loss of the season.

The Reds picked up two more runs in the third inning and one more in the eighth. Starting at the top of the lineup for the Reds, Hamilton went 4-5 with three runs and two RBI. Alex Gonzalez was 3-5 with two runs scored. Griffey went 2-4 with two runs and three RBI. Edwin Encarnacion and Votto each had two RBI. Bronson Arroyo pitched seven and two thirds innings and gave up three runs to get the win for the Reds. No Brewer had more than one hit in the game.

Saturday - Brewers win 4-3: The Crew fell behind 3-0 in the bottom of the second inning when Votto hit a three-run homer off Brewers starter Jeff Suppan. It turned out to be the only mistake Suppan made all night. At that point though, things looked bleak for the Brewers' chances in the series. However, the Brewers battled back starting in the fifth inning. A Gabe Gross ground out scored Suppan who reached on a single earlier in the inning. That run brought the Brewers within two. Prince Fielder made it a one run game in the next inning with his 43rd home run of the season. Another productive out came in the eighth inning when Geoff Jenkins hit a sac fly that scored Fielder who reached on a walk. Derrick Turnbow pitched the bottom of that inning and ended up getting the win.

The Brewers took the lead for the first time in the game when Rickie Weeks tripled home Craig Counsell in the ninth inning. Francisco Cordero pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth to pick up the save for the Brewers. Weeks was 3-5 in the game with that game-winning RBI. Counsell and Fielder each went 2-4.

Sunday - Brewers win 10-5: History was made right off the bat for the

Brewers on this afternoon. Weeks, J.J. Hardy and Ryan Braun all hit home runs to start off the game for the Brewers. It was the third time in major league history that a team started a game with home runs from their first three batters. The Braves were last team to do it back in 2003. The Brewers picked up another run in the inning to make it a four-run first. Reds starter Phil Dumatrait did not record an out and was taken out after giving up his fifth straight hit to start the game. After the Reds picked up a single tally in the bottom of the first, the Brewers added three more in the second with a RBI double from Hardy and another homer by Braun, this one a two-run shot. Weeks hit his second home run of the game in the fourth inning to make it 8-1 Brewers.

The Reds pulled within three when Encarnacion hit a three-run homer in the sixth inning off Brewers starter Ben Sheets. The Brewers added two insurance runs in the eighth inning when Estrada hit a two-run homer, his first homer since July 7th. Sheets picked up the win by going six innings and giving up six runs.