CINCINNATI — If the Reds had thoughts of making a wild run at the end of the season, they would need to navigate an absolutely brutal portion of their schedule, beginning Friday night against the first-place Milwaukee Brewers.
The first of six games the Reds and Brewers will play over the next week and a half proved to be a wild one in front of 30,450 fans at Great American Ball Park.
Following a 50-minute rain delay, the clubs combined for 17 runs, 20 hits and five lead changes before Milwaukee pulled away late for a 10-7 victory.
Cincinnati struck first in the opening inning when Dane Myers reached on an infield single before Elly De La Cruz lined an RBI single into left. Milwaukee answered with two runs in the second, only to see the Reds respond with two of their own. After the Brewers tied the game in the top of the third, Eugenio Suárez blasted a three-run home run to put Cincinnati back in front, 6-4.
Unfortunately for the Reds, the lead didn't last.
Milwaukee broke the game open with a five-run fifth inning. Cooper Pratt delivered the biggest blow with a bases-clearing triple before later scoring on a throwing error by Elly De La Cruz, turning a two-run deficit into a 9-6 Brewers advantage. Milwaukee added another run in the sixth to extend the lead to four.
Cincinnati mounted one final push in the seventh when Tyler Stephenson drew a walk before Elly De La Cruz singled and Sal Stewart drove home a run to trim the deficit to 10-7. That would be as close as the Reds would get, however, as Milwaukee's bullpen retired six of the final seven Cincinnati hitters to close out the victory.
De La Cruz finished 3-for-5 with an RBI, Dane Myers scored twice, Matt McLain added a two-run home run and Suárez's three-run blast briefly gave the Reds control of the game. Stewart also drove home a run as the rookie continues to make his case for National League Rookie of the Year.
What's Next: The Reds continue their three-game series against Milwaukee on Saturday evening at Great American Ball Park. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m.