Brewers Sweep Reds Behind Kyle Lohse, Mark Reynolds

Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

The Brewers and Reds were both slumping coming into their three-game series on Monday, but the Brewers reversed their fortunes and took the first two games of the series before today’s series finale.

Today they sent Kyle Lohse (10-4, 3.16 ERA) out to get the sweep against Mike Leake (7-8, 3.63).

The Crew was short-handed today, with Scooter Gennett day-to-day with a tightness in his right quad but not nearly as short-handed as the Reds were without Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips and Zach Cozart.

The lack of offense was apparent for the Reds as they managed just five hits in the game and every Brewers starter other than Khris Davis had a hit, including two home runs by Mark Reynolds en route to a 5-1 win.

Lohse cruised through the top of the first without issue. Gomez led off the bottom of the inning with a shot to third and reached on an error by Todd Frazier.

Jonathan Lucroy, newly in the two-hole in the line up, followed with a single to left. After a Ryan Braun strike out, Aramis Ramirez grounded into a double play to end the Brewer threat.

Ryan Ludwick reached on an error to lead off the second on a routine ground out to third. Ramirez grabbed it and threw to first, but it wasn’t even near the bag, allowing Ludwick to take second.

That was it for the Reds though as Lohse had no trouble putting down Jay Bruce, Devin Mesoraco, and Skip Schumaker. Leake worked around a Mark Reynolds single in the bottom of the frame.

Lohse worked around a Billy Hamilton single and steal of second in the top of the third for his third scoreless inning of the game.

After a Lohse fly out, Gomez and Lucroy hit singles in the bottom of the third to put two on for Braun. Braun grounded into a double play. He grounded sharply to third with Gomez stealing. Frazier tagged Gomez and threw Braun out at first.

Lohse worked around a Bruce single in the fourth inning. Ramirez led off the Brewer half of the inning with a single to left. Weeks and Khris Davis both followed with hard line drives to right, but Bruce got them both and Reynolds struck out to end the inning.

The Reds finally put up a real threat in the top of the fifth.  Schumaker singled to lead off the inning and Santiago walked to put two on.  Leake bunted them each up a base with a sacrifice.

Hamilton followed with a sacrifice fly to right to bring in Schumaker and move Santiago to third. Frazier flew out to right to end the inning, making him 0-for-10 in the series.

Lohse helped his own cause with a one-out single in the bottom half of the inning. Gomez followed with a triple to the corner in right to bring in Lohse who barely beat the throw from Bruce.

Frazier robbed Lucroy of a base hit and RBI with a diving stop at third for the second out of the inning. Braun beat out an infield single to second to bring in Gomez and put the Brewers on top. The inning ended on a Ramirez strike out.

Lohse worked around a two-out walk to Bruce in the top of the sixth to keep the Brewers on top.

Weeks led off the bottom of the sixth with a double to the wall in left center. Two batters later Reynolds destroyed a baseball (15), depositing it in the second deck over the wall in left to give Milwaukee a 4-1 lead.

Segura singled to extend the inning and chase Bruce. Lohse struck out while failing to bunt Segura over to second for the second out. Frazier robbed Gomez of a base hit with a leaping grab of a line drive to end the inning.

Lohse got line outs out of Schumaker and Santiago before pinch-hitter Donald Lutz doubled off the wall in right center, ending his day. Ron Roenicke called for Zach Duke.

Hamilton bounced back to Duke on his first pitch to end the inning. The final line on Lohse was 6 2/3 innings pitched, allowing one run on just four hits and two walks. He struck out three.

J.J. Hoover came on to toss the bottom of the seventh for Cincinnati. The final line for Leake was six innings, allowing four runs on 11 hits and no walks. He struck out four.

Hoover put down Lucroy, Braun and Ramirez in order to send the game to the eighth.

Will Smith came on to pitch the eighth for Milwaukee after a one-pitch outing by Duke in the seventh. Frazier led off with a single up the middle for his first hit in the series.

Pena followed with a ground ball to Weeks for an easy double play. Ludwick flew out to end the inning.

Jumbo Diaz came on to pitch the bottom of the eighth for the Reds. After getting quick outs of Weeks and Davis, Reynolds launched his second home run (16) of the game to give Milwaukee a 5-1 lead.

Jeremy Jeffress, who was called up after the loss to Washington on Sunday, came on to pitch the ninth for his first appearance for Milwaukee this season.

The hard throwing right hander got Bruce and Mesoraco to bounce out to Segura and Schumaker to ground out to Reynolds at first to end the game.

The six-game losing streak for the Reds is their longest since 2011, and moves them 5 1/2 games behind the Brewers in the National League Central division.

Kyle Lohse picked up his 11th win for Milwaukee, and Leake earned the loss for Cincinnati.

The Brewers move on to play host to the New York Mets for a four game series starting Thursday at Miller Park.