Brewers 11, Reds 7: Thames belts two more homers

It is safe to say the Cincinnati Reds have seen quite enough of Eric Thames.

And he has played only five games against them.

The Milwaukee Brewers’ dynamic new first baseman continued his human wrecking ball act against the Reds on Monday evening by belting two more home runs in an 11-7 victory at Miller Park.

Including the five-homer barrage unleashed by Thames in four games on the Brewers’ first trip of the season, he has knocked seven out of the park already against Cincinnati in 21 plate appearances. Thames went deep in his first two at-bats against lefty Amir Garrett.

Little wonder that Garrett walked him next time up. Or that Thames was intentionally walked in the eighth with runners on second and third and one out. Enough is enough.

With five games remaining in the month, Thames is rewriting the Brewers’ record book for April. His 10 homers tied the mark set by Carlos Lee (2006) and his 24 runs scored eclipsed the record of 23 jointly held by Paul Molitor (1987) and Rickie Weeks (2008).

BOX SCORE: Brewers 11, Reds 7

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BREWERS CHAT: Tom Haudricourt, 11 a.m. Tuesday

Thames yanked a 3-2 slider from Garrett out to right for a bases-empty homer in the first inning and took a 0-2 slider the other way to left for a two-run shot in the second. The left-handed-hitting slugger has removed any thought of a platoon at first base by hitting four of his 10 homers off lefties.

Hernán Pérez made his presence known for the Brewers, also, as he continued to shake free of a season-opening skid. Pérez capped a four-run first inning with a three-run homer to center and added a RBI double in the third.

Garrett entered the game with a 1.83 earned run average in three starts, but the Brewers pounded him for 10 runs (nine earned) in 3 1/3 innings. By the time he exited he had a 5.09 ERA.

The game marked the return to action of right-hander Matt Garza, who missed the first three weeks of the season with a groin strain. Garza allowed four runs in four innings, including a three-run homer by Scott Schebler in the third inning after shortstop Orlando Arcia’s first error in 43 games kept the inning alive.

The Brewers were leading, 10-4, after four innings, but manager Craig Counsell pulled Garza with his pitch count at 93. It then took five relievers to keep the Reds from erasing the deficit.

BEHIND THE BOX SCORE

• With Garza back in the rotation, Tommy Milone shifted to relief duty and replaced Brent Suter as the lone lefty in the pen. Suter was optioned to Class AAA Colorado Springs to activate Garza. Stretched out as a starter, Milone will be available to pitch multiple innings if needed.

“There’s a pretty good chance Tommy Milone makes more starts for us this year, with the way starting pitching goes,” Counsell said.

• Reliever Corey Knebel, who didn’t appear in the four-game series against St. Louis, pitched the eighth inning and struggled with his command. He allowed a run and retired Joey Votto on a grounder with the bases loaded for the third out to avoid more damage.

STAT SHEET

• Catcher Manny Piña’s first-inning single extended his career-high hitting streak to 10 games. He is batting .472 (17 for 36) with six doubles, a home run, four RBI and six runs scored during that stretch.

• Arcia’s 42-game errorless streak tied Royce Clayton (2003) for second-longest by a Brewers shortstop. Mark Loretta went 63 games without an error from May 11, 2000 to July 1, 2001. Arcia made another error in the ninth inning.

TAKEAWAY

The comeback player of the year award is not generally given to someone who was playing overseas. If it was, Thames already would have a death grip on it just three weeks and a day into the season. No player ever has started his Brewers career like this.

RECORD

This year: 10-11 (4-8 home; 6-3 away)

Last year: 8-13

ATTENDANCE

Monday: 23,943

2017 total: 356,280 (29,690  avg.)

Last year: 336,000 (28,000 avg.)

NEXT GAME

Tuesday: Brewers vs. Reds. Milwaukee RHP Zach Davies (1-2, 8.24) vs. Cincinnati RHP Scott Feldman (1-1, 2.38). TV: FS Wisconsin. Radio: 620-AM.