A loss is still a loss but offensive explosion might allow Brewers to finally exhale

There are no moral victories in major league baseball but perhaps this one will finally allow the Milwaukee Brewers to exhale.

Down, 10-2, in the fourth inning, it appeared the sagging Brewers were headed for another dismal evening Friday at Miller Park. But, thanks to a seven-run rally in the sixth and more pressure afterward on Cincinnati’s bullpen, the Brewers fought to the very end before bowing, 11-10.

Yes, the Brewers still lost their sixth in a row and fell to .500. And, yes, they have lost twice as many games as they’ve won since the break, going 9-18 and falling into a tie for third place with Pittsburgh.

But, considering how horrid the offense had been since the all-star break, there was reason for hope after this one. In the sixth inning alone, the Brewers scored more runs than any entire game they had played since July 25.

“We did a nice job offensively,” manager Craig Counsell said. “We put a heck of a comeback on it. Multiple times, we got the go-ahead run on base. When you’re down eight going into the sixth inning, that’s pretty improbable.

“It is a tough way to lose, but we have to take a positive sign that we started scoring some runs here. (Reliever) Jeremy Jeffress had a nice outing for us, which I think is a nice building block for him to hopefully get him going.

“To me, it is a loss and it stings, but it is a good sign for us. We played with a bunch of energy those last four innings and made it tough on them. We took a little piece out of them having to use (closer Raisel) Iglesias for two innings. That should help us the next couple of nights.”

The Brewers and Reds might still be playing if not for a slight misadventure on the bases in the eighth inning with Cincinnati leading, 11-9. After Travis Shaw singled with one down off Iglesias, Domingo Santana hit a liner off the glove of leftfielder Adam Duvall for a double.

GAME STORY: Brewers' offense finally explodes, but it's not enough 

NOTES: Counsell said players' meeting provided more communication

BOX SCORE: Reds 11, Brewers 10

MLB: Live scoreboard, box scores, standings, schedules

When Duvall dropped the ball trying to pick it up on the warning track, third base coach Ed Sedar tried to send Shaw home but he already was pulling up at the bag, not knowing what happened.

“I looked back at Eddie and he initially had the stop sign up,” Shaw said. “Then, he bobbled it, but it was too late by then. Obviously, in that situation, a two-run game, you don’t want to take any chances, especially with one out.

“Looking back now, it kind of turns into a big deal. But, at the time, it’s better to be safe than sorry. You don’t want to get thrown out at the plate with the tying runs at second and third.”

That play loomed large when Jonathan Villar slugged an opposite-field homer off Iglesias with one out in the ninth to make it a one-run game. Eric Thames, who smashed a three-run homer in the seven-run outburst in the sixth, followed with a single but Ryan Braun fouled out and Shaw struck out to end the game.

After tinkering with the lineup for several games in attempts to get the offense going, Counsell went back to one of his original alignments with Villar leading off and Thames batting second. The pair responded with six hits, including two home runs, with five RBI and three runs scored.

“They both had big nights tonight,” Counsell said. “Those are two guys that have to get going. Hopefully, tonight is the start of something because they both had really nice nights and good at-bats. I thought Eric has had some quality two-strike at-bats and battled later in the game. Positive steps for those two guys, for sure.”

The long-awaited explosion went for naught because the Reds scored 10 runs off Brewers starter Jimmy Nelson in less than four innings. Cincinnati sent home six runs in the third after two were out but most of the hits were softly struck, leaving Nelson shaking his head.

“When it rains, it pours,” Nelson said. “That was pretty tough. Can’t do anything about it now. Just back to work tomorrow.

“I’m honestly proud of the guys, the way they fought back. That’s awesome. It shows, even in a touch stretch, we were down, 10-2, and the guys kept grinding out at-bats. We were right back in that game the last three or four innings.

“Losses are terrible. It’s the last thing we want. Just the fact that mentally they stayed in the game, even though we were down by a lot, that shows a lot of character. I’m proud of those guys for doing that.”

Now, we wait to see if it leads to something in the win column.