TJ Friedl homered to lead off a five-run first inning, left-hander Nick Lodolo pitched eight strong innings and the Cincinnati Reds beat the Milwaukee Brewers 8-2 on Friday night.
In a matchup of rookie starters, Lodolo (4-5) easily outperformed Brewers right-hander Jason Alexander (2-3).
Lodolo had career bests with 11 strikeouts and eight innings, while Cincinnati’s first six batters reached base off Alexander.
Friedl hit an 0-2 pitch for his first career leadoff home run.
The Reds have their first three-game winning streak since winning five in a row from July 30 to Aug. 2.
