MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Cincinnati Reds used an eight-run sixth inning to turn a close game into a blowout.
Eugenio Suarez hit a three-run home run during the outburst and the Reds beat the Milwaukee Brewers 11-5 on Saturday night.
The Reds had seven hits in the key inning, including two by Joey Votto, and Milwaukee added two errors and a wild pitch by starter Zach Davies (9-5) that led to a run.
Votto had four hits and two RBIs and Billy Hamilton, Zack Cozart, Adam Duvall, Brandon Phillips, Tucker Barnhart and Suarez each had two hits for the Reds. Cincinnati had 16 hits in the game.
“Certainly there’s a bunch of guys that had big games. Just a lot of good quality at-bats,” Reds manager Bryan Price said. “These games don’t happen often in this sport, going from a 1-0 game to a 9-0 game.”
Dan Straily (8-6) allowed two runs and 10 hits while striking out six over 5 1/3 innings.
“You can’t let those kind of ballgames slip away from you. They hit some pretty good pitches,” Straily said. “The offense tonight really carried the team and we did just a good enough job pitching to win the game.”
Votto raised his average above .300 for the first time this season.
“The first couple of months were really frustrating. I felt like I dug myself a pretty big hole,” Votto said. “I still feel like I am coming out of it.”
Ryan Braun hit a solo homer off Straily in the sixth.
Davies, who has emerged as Milwaukee’s ace, gave up five runs and eight hits in five innings. He entered 4-0 with a 2.31 ERA over his previous six starts and hadn’t allowed more than three runs since giving up six on June 30.
“It went pretty smoothly for the first five, being able to keep them off balance,” Davies said. “Then it kind of fell apart.”
Scooter Gennett had four hits for Milwaukee, tying a career high, and Martin Maldonado hit his sixth homer.
HISPANIC HERITAGE
Milwaukee and Cincinnati wore jerseys with “Cerveceros” and “Los Rojas,” respectively, across the front in honor of Hispanic heritage in baseball.
KEEPING WATCH
After Hamilton led off the game with an infield single, Davies tried to pick off the majors’ leading basestealer six straight times with Votto at the plate. In all, Davies tried to pick Hamilton off 10 times.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Brewers: RHP Junior Guerra played catch for the first time as he works his way back from right elbow inflammation. Guerra has been out since Aug. 8 and is eligible to come off the disabled list on Friday. … OF Domingo Santana needs at least 20 to 30 minor league at-bats before he’s ready to return to the Brewers, manager Craig Counsell said. Santana has been out since June 10 with right elbow soreness. He began a second rehab assignment earlier this week with Class A Wisconsin. An earlier assignment was cut short when Santana again began to experience soreness in the elbow.
UP NEXT
Reds: Cody Reed (0-6, 6.36) will make his first-ever career start against the Brewers. He’s coming off his best start of the season, tossing six shutout innings against St. Louis on Monday.
Brewers: Wily Peralta (4-8, 6.38) will make his second start since being recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs earlier this month. Peralta is 4-4 with a 3.14 ERA in 11 career starts versus the Reds.
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