MILWAUKEE (AP) — Eugenio Suárez hit a three-run homer in the sixth inning and Tyler Stephenson had a sacrifice fly in the eighth as the Cincinnati Reds slipped past the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 on Sunday.
After allowing 47 runs over a three-game stretch, Reds pitchers kept the best team in the majors — who clinched a playoff berth on Friday night and played their regulars on Sunday — mostly in check to salvage the series finale and avoid a winless six-game road trip.
The Brewers, who scored 33 runs in the first two games of the series, jumped in front 2-0 in the second on Joey Ortiz’s ninth home run of the season, a 408-foot shot off Chase Burns.
Robert Gasser, making his 18th start of the season, limited the Reds for five innings. He departed after surrendering a leadoff single to Elly De La Cruz in the sixth. Antonio Senzatela came on and gave up a single to Sal Stewart before being tagged by Suárez for a three-run homer that gave Cincinnati a 3-2 lead.
Jake Bauers led off the seventh with his 26th homer of the season to tie it.
Stephenson’s sacrifice fly in the eighth put the Reds in front 4-3.
Brandon Williamson (4-4) gave up one run and two hits in four innings of relief. Emilio Pagán pitched a scoreless ninth to notch his 23rd save in 26 tries.
Burns gave up two hits and two runs in three innings while throwing 56 pitches. It marked the second consecutive game in which he was lifted after three innings as the team works to manage the 23-year-old right-handers remaining workload.
Up next
Reds: LHP Nick Lodolo (3-4, 5.12 ERA) gets the start as Cincinnati returns home to open a three-game series vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have not named a starter.
Brewers: Milwaukee starts RHP Jacob Misiorowski (14-5, 1.95) on Tuesday at Pittsburgh.
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