 walked Yasmani Grandal with the bases loaded to force in a run that put Milwaukee up 4-3, and Yelich followed with a single.Mahle gave up three hits overall, including Keston Hiura's homer in the fifth.The Brewers got a career-high five-plus innings from Adrian Houser, who was making his fourth start after 14 relief appearances. He blanked the Reds on four hits over the first five innings, but Jesse Winker hit a solo shot and Suarez added a two-run homer as the Reds chased Houser to open the sixth.Alex Claudio (2-2) retired the three batters he faced in the inning. Suarez connected again in the eighth off Josh Hader. Jeremy Jeffress allowed a run in the ninth while getting his first save.REMEMBERING SKAGGSThe Reds had a moment of silence pregame for Tyler Skaggs, the Angels pitcher who died Monday at the team's hotel in Texas.''It's shocking,'' Counsell said. ''It just rocks everybody's world.'' SLIP SLIDINGThe Reds won two games at Miller Park on June 20-21 that completed a six-game winning streak, their longest of the season. Since then, they've dropped six of eight, falling back into last place.WHAT YOU WISH FORMahle complained earlier this season that manager David Bell wasn't letting him work deeper into games. Bell let him start the seventh inning this time, and Mahle couldn't get an out.''I blew it,'' Mahle said. ''That's what I think sucks the most, when the manager has faith in you and you go out and blow it.'' IT WENT THAT WAYCain's opposite-field homer was only his eighth in 72 career homers.BULLPEN SWThe Reds called up right-handed reliever Jimmy Herget from Triple-A to make his debut and designated left-hander Zach Duke for assignment. Duke was signed to a $2 million, one-year deal in February. He went 3-1 with a 5.01 ERA in 30 appearances.TRAINER'S ROOMBrewers: Left-hander Gio Gonzalez threw in the bullpen for the first time since he went on the injured list on June 1 with a sore left arm.Reds: Yasiel Puig got a day off. Manager David Bell said the outfielder was sore from slamming into the wall to make a catch last Friday. ... Reliever Wandy Peralta is expected to throw in the bullpen Tuesday. He's been on the injured list since June 15 with a strained hip.UP NEXTBrewers: Chase Anderson (4-2) is 3-2 with a 4.40 ERA in 10 starts after opening the season in the bullpen. He took an 11-7 loss to the Reds at Miller Park on June 21, giving up six runs in five innings.Reds: Tanner Roark (5-6) is 1-0 in two starts against the Brewers this season, allowing four runs in 10 1/3 innings while fanning 13.---More MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/-Sports)
Brewers eye NL Central control in visit to RedsFLMThe NL Central is the most competitive division in the majors, and the Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers begin the final week before the All-Star break with two distinctly different goals.The Reds are hoping to make the race even more competitive, while the Brewers are hoping to move into sole possession of the division lead.The teams will get their first chances at meeting those goals Monday night when Milwaukee visits Cincinnati for the opener of a four-game series.Only 5 1/2 games separate the five teams in the division, with Milwaukee tied with the Chicago Cubs for first place at 45-39 and Cincinnati in fifth at 38-43.The Brewers head into the series after taking two of three at home from the Pittsburgh Pirates. They have not scored more than four runs in their last six games since getting 20 runs in the final three games of a four-game set in Milwaukee against the Reds June 20-23.Milwaukee secured the series over Pittsburgh with Sunday's 2-1 win, when Eric Thames hit a tiebreaking pinch-hit homer in the eighth inning.The Brewers are trying to get three straight wins for the first time since winning four straight from June 6-9, a streak that elevated them to 38-28."You're not making progress, but you're not hurting yourself," Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said of his team's uneven play before Sunday's game. "That's what happened in June. ... We're going to try to get better, because we know we need to be better than that to be a playoff team." Cincinnati heads to Milwaukee after winning two of three from the Cubs. The Reds are coming off a hard-fought 8-6 win on Sunday when they built a four-run lead and then scored four times in the eighth inning.Cincinnati got a three-run homer from Eugenio Suarez, two stolen bases from Yasiel Puig and a six-out save from Raisel Iglesias, who notched the save despite allowing a three-run homer in the ninth."It says a lot," Reds manager David Bell said. "I'm really happy the way that game went today. It could have gone the other way. It says a lot and shows a lot about our team, how we play as a team, the toughness that was shown there." Adrian Houser (2-2, 2.94 ERA) will be Milwaukee's opener for the fourth time, though he owns a 9.00 ERA (eight runs, 15 hits) in that role. He last fulfilled the role Wednesday in a 4-2 loss to Seattle, when he allowed three runs on four hits in two innings while throwing 64 pitches.Houser, who has made 23 of his 26 career appearances as a reliever, has thrown three scoreless innings in two career appearances against the Reds, both coming this year.Tyler Mahle (2-8, 4.35) will start for Cincinnati and hopes to end a four-game winless skid. He is 0-3 with a 4.64 ERA in his last four outings since beating Washington on May 31. Mahle last pitched Tuesday in a 5-1 loss to the Los Angeles Angels, when he continued to struggle on the road by allowing four runs and six hits in five innings.Mahle is 0-1 with a 2.53 ERA in two career starts against Milwaukee.Milwaukee leads the season series 6-3.--Field Level Media
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