Brewers 11, Reds 3: Bats back Jimmy Nelson

Todd Rosiak
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

CINCINNATI - The Milwaukee Brewers broke out the big lumber in making up for two games' worth of frustration on Thursday night.

With Ryan Braun's home run three batters in setting the tone, they went deep a season-high six times in all in steamrolling over the Cincinnati Reds, 11-3, at Great American Ball Park.

Jonathan Villar hit a pair in his first start back from the disabled list, Jesús Aguilar hit a three-run shot and Manny Piña and Domingo Santana each added round-trippers as well as Milwaukee avoided a series sweep.

"It was a tough game yesterday in a lot of ways," manager Craig Counsell said, referring not only to his team's 4-3 loss but also starter Chase Anderson going down with a strained left oblique after pitching only one inning.

"We keep saying it, but we keep bouncing back from those tough games. We had a tough road trip and came back and got the last game in both series."

Staked to a 2-0 lead after two and ahead by 10 runs entering the fourth, Jimmy Nelson was able to pitch largely without pressure and mostly cruised through seven innings before hitting the showers with a career-high-tying 11 strikeouts to his credit.

Braun kicked off the scoring by banging a two-out homer off the foul pole in left field in the first. It was the second homer in as many nights for Braun and his 24th career round-tripper at Great American Ball Park, the most ever by a visiting player.

Piña matched Braun with a solo shot to right-center in the second, then Jonathan Villar hit one to nearly the same spot to lead off the third. One batter later, Homer Bailey plunked Santana, leading home-plate umpire Fieldin Culbreth to speak briefly to the right-hander.

BOX SCORE: Brewers 11, Reds 3

RELATED:Ryan Braun has come off DL with a bang for the Brewers

NOTES: Switch in roles helps open the door for Brewers' Jorge Lopez

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Bailey went on to record the next two outs before the Brewers got to him again. With Santana still on first, Aguilar – starting in place of the slumping Eric Thames – doubled to right drive in Santana and make it 4-0.

Reds manager Bryan Price challenged, believing the ball had become wedged between the padding on the wall and the ground, and was ejected for arguing after the umpires had confirmed the ball was in play.

Hernán Pérez followed with a single to center, with Aguilar scoring after Devin Mesoraco couldn't handle the throw home from Billy Hamilton in center. Then after Pérez stole third, Piña bounced a single to left that upped Milwaukee's advantage to 6-0.

Bailey was pulled after the third and replaced by Kevin Shackelford, who was making his major-league debut against the team that traded him to Cincinnati in 2015 as part of the Jonathan Broxton deal.

He was greeted by Villar's second homer of the night, and after Braun and Travis Shaw singled Aguilar crushed a three-run shot to straightaway center that gave the Brewers a double-digit lead at 10-0.

The first hit Nelson surrendered was – what else? – a homer, with Votto hitting his 22nd of the season out to right in the bottom of the fourth to break up the shutout.

Votto led off the Reds' seventh with his second homer, a shot that was also just the second hit for Cincinnati. Adam Duvall followed with a double, but Nelson (6-4) retired the next three batters – including two via strikeout – to finish his night.

"It was a night where he never felt like he was in trouble," Counsell said. "From the first inning, you could tell he had really good stuff just by the swings. And then when we got him a lead, he got even better."

Santana led off the eighth by homering to center to give the Brewers their sixth six-homer game in franchise history and first since Sept. 9, 2007. That one also occurred at Great American Ball Park, with Braun and Rickie Weeks each hitting a pair and J.J. Hardy and Johnny Estrada also going deep.

"We swung the bats really well tonight, obviously," Counsell said. "The first four innings, we just kept coming at them. It was good to see."

BEHIND THE BOX SCORE

* Class AAA Colorado Springs' Garrett Cooper has been named a starting first baseman in the Pacific Coast League All-Star Game, which will be played on July 12 in Tacoma, Wash.

It's the second straight season Cooper has earned an all-star nod; he did so last year as well while with Class AA Biloxi. Through 64 games, Cooper was hitting .357 with 14 homers, 67 RBI and an OPS of 1.026 for the Sky Sox.

The 2013 sixth-round pick has gotten himself onto the radar with his big season despite not being considered a top prospect at 26 years of age. He hit .200 in 15 at-bats spread over 12 games with the Brewers in spring training, giving Counsell a brief look at his skill set.

"He's a big right-handed-hitting first baseman," Counsell said. "Didn't have a great spring in the big-league games, but that's what's always tricky about the spring. I'm almost to the point now where you look at guys that didn't have great springs for us, and those are the guys that get off to great starts.

"He's having a really nice year and he's doing well for himself. If you put up those numbers in Triple-A, we've got to take notice. No question."

* Minor-league outfielders Lewis Brinson and Corey Ray and infielder Mauricio Dubon have been invited to take part in the All-Star Futures Game on July 9 at Marlins Park.

Brinson and Ray will play for the U.S. Team, while Dubon, a native of Honduras, will play for the World Team.

Brinson made his major-league debut for the Brewers earlier in the month, while Dubon was recently promoted to Colorado Springs.

"That guy plays hard every day," reliever Jorge Lopez said of Dubon, his former teammate in Biloxi. Lopez represented the Brewers in the Futures Game in 2014.

"Good kid in the clubhouse. He deserves it, man. He’s having a great year. Hopefully he does well."

STAT SHEET

*  Braun has hit 39 career homers against the Reds. That's the most by any player against Cincinnati since 2007, which was Braun's rookie season.

* Corey Knebel needs a strikeout in his next appearance to set a new major-league record for a reliever by recording at least one punchout in 40 consecutive outings.

Knebel tied the record of 39, which was set by Bruce Sutter of the Chicago Cubs in 1977, with his eighth-inning strikeout of former teammate Scooter Gennett on Wednesday.

TAKEAWAY

It was an impressive power display for the Brewers, who have yet to be swept this season. Nelson was also solid, and he's recorded three of his six victories this month.

RECORD

This year: 42-39 (21-22 home 21-17 away)

Last year: 35-46

NEXT GAME

Friday: Brewers vs. Marlins, 7:10 p.m. Milwaukee RHP Matt Garza (3-4, 4.43) vs. Miami RHP Edinson Volquez (4-8, 4.15). TV: FS Wisconsin. Radio: AM-620.