Brewers rally to beat Reds 4-3, open 2-game NL Central lead

CINCINNATI (AP) — The Milwaukee Brewers opened a two-game lead over Cincinnati in the NL Central, overcoming a two-run deficit to beat the Reds for the fifth time in a six-game stretch, a 4-3 victory Sunday behind rookie Andruw Monasterio’s tiebreaking single in a two-run eighth inning.

After taking two of three at home on the weekend before the All-Star break, the Brewers swept three games at the Reds. Milwaukee has a two-game lead for the first time since before play on May 25.

“It was an important series,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “We did our job. You come into a road series and you sweep it, you had a heck of a series. We got three games left with them, soon. But it’s a big series for us to take a great start to the second half.”

Christian Yelich hit his 14th home run in the third and cut Milwaukee’s deficit to 3-2 with an RBI single in the fifth.

Jake Fraley hit a two-run homer for Cincinnati, which had been shut out in its previous three games.

With the Reds leading 3-2, Willy Adams walked against Lucas Sims (3-2) starting the eighth and took third on Jesse Winker’s single. Owen Miller hit a sacrifice fly, All-Star closer Alexis Díaz relieved and Raimel Tapia flied out.

Monasterio hit an opposite-field blooper that fell in front of Fraley in right as pinch runner Tyrone Taylor slid home ahead of a throw that was up the first-base line.

Hoby Milner (1-0) allowed one hit in two scoreless innings, and Devin Williams needed just nine pitches in a perfect ninth for his 23rd save in 25 chances.

“Hopefully, we started a little slump for them,” Milner said of the Reds.

Joey Votto ended Cincinnati’s 28-inning scoreless streak with an RBI double in the second. Yelich homered in the third off Ben Lively., who was visited by athletic trainers during the fourth and replaced by Derek Law starting the fifth.

“I threw up a little bit,” Lively said. “I was a little dehydrated or something. It hit me real quick. I cramped up. We were just being a little precautionary.”

Fraley put the Reds in front 3-1 with a two-run homer off Adrian Houser in the the third. Houser allowed six hits in 5 2/3 innings.

UP NEXT

Brewers: RHP Julio Teheran (2-3, 3.64) starts Tuesday’s series opener at Philadelphia and RHP Aaron Nola (8-6, 4.39). Pregame at 5:05 p.m., first pitch at 5:40 p.m. on KFIZ.