Ryan Braun Spoils Michael Lorenzen's Debut

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The ball was flying out of Great American Ball Park on a nice late spring afternoon.

The Brewers hit four of them to rout the Reds 8-3.

Young Michael Lorenzen made his debut in place of the newly fallen Homer Bailey.

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Lorenzen throws hard but three Milwaukee Brewers batters turned some pitches around on the 23-year old former outfielder, gave up three home runs.

Two of the culprits were Ryan Braun, who led the National League with 41 of them in 2012 and Adam Lind, who hit the 150th of his career.  Khris Davis hit his first home run of the season, giving him seven in his three Major League seasons.  That is the most he's hit against any opponent.

Lorenzen listed Braun as his favorite player in the Cal State - Fullerton media guide.

"It was the first step in learning how to pitch at this level," manager Bryan Price said. "You can practice all you want but until you pitch here you don't truly learn.  He has the stuff to be here. This is the right place for him. I think he handled himself wonderfully."

Todd Frazier and Tucker Barnhart hit home runs off Brewers' starter Matt Garza.  For Frazier it was his sixth of the season.

Lorenzen finished with five innings, allowing eight hits and a walk. He struck out five.

"I would have liked to go eight innings," Lorenzen said. "I learned that you have to get ahead of guys. I got a pitch up to Braun and he let the whole stadium know I made a mistake. It was welcome to the big leagues."

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Price believes it is a matter of learning to manage his pitches.

"He didn't establish his breaking ball for strikes early in the game," Price said.  "He's got great stuff it is a matter of learning how to manage it."

Garza turned in Milwaukee's first quality start on the road by pitching 6 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on five hits.

J.J. Hoover and Tony Cingrani kept the Brewers close with a scoreless inning apiece.  Jumbo Diaz got into trouble by the bunt but let the game get away on a bomb.

The eighth inning started tamely enough. Catcher Martin Maldonado grounded a single to left.  Hector Gomez bunted and Diaz slipped trying to get Maldonado at second.  Zack Cozart couldn't come up with the low throw. Pinch hitter Gerardo Parra bunted and Diaz couldn't field it.  Diaz bounced back and got Jean Segura out on a fly to shallow right, that Maldonado wouldn't challenge.  Diaz had Logan Schafer 1-2 but hit him in the leg with a pitch to force in a run. Braun unloaded the bases with his second home run of the game for his 21st multi-home run game. It was Braun's fourth career grand slam, the first since June 14, 2010 against the Los Angeles Angels.

Jay Bruce added his fifth home run of the season with a leadoff home run off Jeremy Jeffress.  Bruce passed Vada Pinson to become 10th on the Reds' all-time home run list with 187.

Lorezen's mother Cheryl and one of his four older brothers Mathew were able to fly in from Anaheim to see him pitch.  His mother will go home with a sock filled with baseballs, that include his first Major League hit, a single in his first at bat.