Rowdy Tellez drove in eight runs with a grand slam, a two-run homer and a two-run double as the host Milwaukee Brewers pounded out an 18-4 victory over the free-falling Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday night.
Cincinnati, off to the worst start in franchise history at 3-21, has lost 19 of its last 20, including eight in a row, since beginning the season 2-2. The 12 consecutive road losses are the most since a 12-game skid in August 1945.
Tellez’s slam off Vladimir Gutierrez put the Brewers up 6-2 in the third inning. Willy Adames was hit by a pitch to open the inning, Christian Yelich walked on four pitches, and Andrew McCutchen singled to load the bases. Tellez then ripped a 1-0 pitch 453 feet to center for his sixth homer of the season and third career grand slam.
Tellez added a two-run homer in the sixth off reliever Dauri Moreta and a bases-loaded double to cap a five-run eighth. The eight RBIs is a Brewers franchise record. McCutchen had four hits and four RBIs.
The Reds trimmed their deficit to 6-3 in the fifth on a triple by TJ Friedl and Brandon Drury’s sacrifice fly. Milwaukee answered in the bottom half on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Victor Caratini.
Brewers starter Freddy Peralta (1-1) allowed three runs on five hits, leaving with two on and no outs in the sixth. Trevor Gott entered and got out of the jam.
Gutierrez (0-5) allowed seven runs on eight hits in 4 1/3 innings, with two strikeouts, two walks and two hit batters, giving him six hit batters on the season.
The Reds scored two runs in the first on Mike Moustakas’ RBI single and Colin Moran’s sacrifice fly.
The Brewers answered with two in the bottom half. Leadoff hitter Kolten Wong finished a 12-pitch at-bat with his first home run. Yelich doubled with one out, took third on an errant pickoff throw, and came home on McCutchen’s single.
Reds outfielders Nick Senzel and Tyler Naquin were scratched from the lineup Wednesday and placed on the COVID-19 injured list. First baseman Joey Votto went on the COVID-19 IL Tuesday.
Cincinnati infielder Matt Reynolds got the final out of the Brewers’ eighth inning after allowing two hits.
–Field Level Media
