Reds 4, Brewers 3
CINCINNATI -- Second baseman Brandon Phillips followed up his defensive gem in the top of the seventh inning with the decisive home run in the bottom half, lifting the Cincinnati Reds to a 4-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on a rainy Friday evening at Great American Ball Park.
Jean Segura and Ryan Braun hit solo homers for Milwaukee. But Phillips delivered the clinching plays in the seventh.
With Milwaukee trailing 3-2, Reds reliever Sam LeCure walked Norichika Aoki and Segura with one out. Phillips went to his knees to field Braun's hard grounder up the middle and, with his left knee resting on second base, threw a laser beam to Joey Votto at first for an inning-ending double play.
Phillips batted second in the bottom of the seventh and launched a 1-0 pitch from Michael Gonzalez into the left-field seats for his sixth home run of the season, making the score 4-2.
Aroldis Chapman picked up his eighth save. Alfredo Simon (3-1) pitched two scoreless innings for the victory.
Aoki, the Brewers' leadoff batter, was on base five times with three singles and two walks. He scored Milwaukee's third run on a wild pitch in the ninth. But to that point, the only runs generated by the Brewers were the two solo homers.
Reds catcher Ryan Hanigan, who was reinstated from the 15-day disabled list before the game, went 2 for 4.
Reds rookie left-hander Tony Cingrani pitched four innings and allowed five hits, including the homers by Segura and Braun.
Brewers starter Yovani Gallardo (3-2) pitched just four innings as well, exiting after 100 pitches. He gave up three runs, five hits and walked five.
Cincinnati scored first when Shin-Soo Choo, who walked to begin the third, stole second and scored on Phillips' single to left.
Jay Bruce followed with a double off Aoki's glove in right field and Phillips scored to put the Reds ahead 2-0.
It took just four pitches from Cingrani for Milwaukee to tie the score in the fourth. Segura homered to right field on a 1-1 pitch. On the following pitch, Braun launched a 418-foot homer to right, making the score 2-2.
Cingrani exited after throwing 85 pitches in four innings, his shortest outing of the season.
The Reds regained the lead when Donald Lutz extended his hitting streak to five games with a single in the fourth, stole second and scored on Zack Cozart's hit.
NOTES: Catcher Corky Miller was designated for assignment. Hanigan, who'd been on the DL since April 21 with a strained left oblique, went 3 for 8 with two RBIs in three rehab appearances for Triple-A Louisville. ... Reds right-hander Johnny Cueto, on the DL since April 15 with a strained right lat, made his first rehab start for Class A Dayton on Thursday night and allowed one run and four hits with no walks and four strikeouts in three innings. ... Brewers right-hander Hiram Burgos is expected to start Saturday's game in Cincinnati. It's the first start since May 1 for Burgos, who was temporarily moved to the bullpen.
