Brewers 2, Reds 0: Another April home run for Eric Thames provides all the offense

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The Milwaukee Brewers' offense remained sluggish at home but Mr. April came through at just the right time.

Eric Thames accounted for the only runs of the game with a two-run home run in the sixth inning and the Brewers' pitchers made it hold up for a 2-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night at Miller Park.

It was the sixth home run for Thames this season and his 17th in the month of April in his two seasons with the Brewers. It also was his 11th blast against the Reds, a team that usually perks him up.

It was only the third victory in nine games at home for the Brewers, who have scored a mere 22 runs at Miller Park.

BOX SCORE: Brewers 2, Reds 0

Junior Guerra made his second start for the Brewers since returning to the rotation from the minors and again was on top of his game. In 5 2/3 innings, Guerra allowed just one hit with three walks and seven strikeouts, with only one runner advancing past first base.

Including his opening start in St. Louis, Guerra has pitched 11 innings, surrendering only five hits and one run with five walks and 11 strikeouts.

The Reds started big right-hander Sal Romano, who was 0-1 with a 6.46 earned run average in his first three starts of the season and was 0-3 with a 7.24 ERA in three career starts against the Brewers. That seemed to be just what the doctor ordered for an ailing offense but it didn’t work out that way over the first five innings.

The Brewers collected only one hit over that span, a harmless two-out single by Eric Sogard in the second inning. That quickly changed in the sixth when Lorenzo Cain led off with a walk and Thames tomahawked a first-pitch fastball from Romano deep into the second deck in right to make it 2-0.

Milwaukee's bullpen covered the last 3 1/3 innings, with Josh Hader recording the final six outs. Hader logged three strikeouts and has 25 whiffs while facing 41 hitters this season.

FIVE TAKEAWAYS

HIGH WIRE ACT: Not many players hit balls high enough to strike the support wires under the retractable roof, but Cincinnati’s Scooter Gennett did so with a towering pop fly to the right side in the fourth inning. Brewers second baseman Sogard stayed with the ball and played the carom to make the catch in shallow right field.

FILLING THE 40-MAN ROSTER: The Brewers opted to call up catcher Jacob Nottingham instead of Christian Bethancourt, who wasn’t on the 40-man roster. We saw why Tuesday when they filled the only opening on that roster by claiming right-hander Alec Asher on waivers from the Dodgers. Asher, 26, who was pitching for Class AAA Oklahoma City, has a 4-12 record and 5.55 ERA in 36 games (18 starts) in the majors for Philadelphia and Baltimore.

IS SEVEN ENOUGH? With Jorge Lopez getting optioned to Class AAA Colorado Springs to make room for outfielder Christian Yelich to come off the DL, the Brewers are back down to seven relievers. How long they stay at that level remains to be seen, with starters having trouble going deep in games. Before he left, however, Lopez helped ease the load by pitching the last three innings of a 10-4 loss to the Reds on Monday. “He gave six guys a day off, which is really important,” manager Craig Counsell said. “His three innings were critical to setting us up for the rest of the week.”

LEFTIES ON THE MEND: Reliever Boone Logan, who began the year on the DL with a triceps strain, has progressed enough in his long-toss program to get back on the mound this week. “Once he gets on the mound, we’re starting to map out a pretty tight schedule as far as when he comes back,” Counsell said. Lefty Wade Miley, who had all but secured a spot in the rotation in spring training before suffering a groin strain, made his first rehab appearance Tuesday for Class AA Biloxi and allowed two unearned runs in 2 2/3 innings, with four hits, no walks and two strikeouts. He threw 37 pitches, 27 for strikes. Miley is expected to pitch two or three times before the Brewers have to decide whether to add him to their staff.

TOO COLD FOR A DIP: The victory got the Brewers back to .500 for the season. When they fell to 8-9 with their loss to the Reds on Monday, it was the first time they fell below break-even since they were 15-16 last season.

RECORD

This year: 9-9.

Last year: 9-9.

ATTENDANCE

Tuesday: 31,345

This year: 305,530 (33,948 avg.)

Last year: 270,315 (30,035 avg.)

COMING UP

Wednesday: Brewers vs. Reds, 12:40 p.m. Milwaukee RHP Zach Davies (0-2, 6.75) vs. Cincinnati RHP Tyler Mahle (1-2, 5.63). TV: FS Wisconsin. Radio: AM-620.