Willy Adames hit a go-ahead three-run homer and center fielder Blake Perkins threw out the game-tying run at the plate in the ninth inning as the Milwaukee Brewers beat the visiting Cincinnati Reds 5-4 in the rubber match of a three-game series on Sunday.
Colin Rea (6-2) allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits over six strong innings. Trevor Megill earned his 13th save after Perkins threw out Stuart Fairchild attempting to score from second base on Santiago Espinal’s two-out single.
Spencer Steer and Elly De La Cruz each hit solo homers for Cincinnati, which has lost its last eight series against Milwaukee.
Milwaukee trailed 3-1 before moving ahead on Adames’ three-run homer in the sixth inning.
William Contreras singled to begin the inning and Christian Yelich walked before Frankie Montas was replaced by Lucas Sims (1-3), whose first pitch to Adames was deposited over the center-field wall.
The 421-foot blast was Adames’ 12th homer this season and third in his last six games.
Montas gave up three runs on four hits with three walks and five strikeouts over five-plus innings.
Cincinnati took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when De La Cruz lined a one-out triple to right field and scored on Jeimer Candelario’s sacrifice fly.
De La Cruz used his speed to single-handedly generate another run in the third inning. After drawing a two-out walk, De La Cruz stole his major league-leading 36th base before scoring from second on Rea’s errant pickoff throw into center field.
Steer put the Reds ahead 3-0 with a leadoff homer in the fourth inning. The 397-foot shot was Steer’s eighth homer this season.
The Brewers put a run on the scoreboard against Montas in the fifth inning. Joey Ortiz hit a leadoff double and advanced to third on Sal Frelick’s single before scoring on Jackson Chourio’s groundout.
Milwaukee led 5-3 after pushing a run across in the seventh inning. Brice Turang hit a leadoff single, stole second and reached third on a throwing error before scoring on Yelich’s bunt single.
Cincinnati pulled within 5-4 on De La Cruz’s leadoff homer against Koenig in the eighth inning.
–Field Level Media
