Lorenzo Cain Homers In The 11th To Edge Reds

A little more than 12 hours after the Reds and Milwaukee Brewers engaged in a 13-12 slugfest, runs were at a premium on the deciding game of the series.  Lorenzo Cain turned the first pitch that Austin Brice threw in the 11th inning into his 10th home run.  It was the edge in a 2-1 win.

It marked the 22nd straight game that the Brewers hit a home run at Great American Ball Park.

Cody Reed in his first start of the season for the Reds was locked in a pitching duel with Wade Miley through the first four innings.

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Reed pitched into the fifth and ran into trouble.

Mike Moustakas and Hernan Perez singled to start the inning.  Reed fought back, striking out Erik Kratz and Miley back-to-back.  A bad break prevented Reed from pitching out of the inning.  Lorenzo Cain hit a week ground ball to the third base side of the mound.  Reed reached for the ball but knocked it past a charging Brandon Dixon, who was playing third in place of Eugenio Suarez, who was scratched with a strained back.  Cain's hit loaded the bases.  Christian Yelich, who was 6-for-6 on Wednesday, walked to drive in the first run.  Michael Lorenzen got Jesus Aguilar to fly out, ending the inning.

"We had a pretty conservative pitch count on him (Reed)," Jim Riggleman said. "He wasn't going to face any more hitters, if  I let him face Aguilar. That was going to be his last hitter so we brought in Lorenzen to face Aguilar.  The last four pitches to Yelich.  I could see him doing something with his fingers out there.  He could tell he had no feel for the ball at all. I thought there was no reason to continue. He threw the ball well.  That's a very tough lineup and they're swinging the bats pretty well. He really did a nice job.  Hopefully, next time he gets out there he pitches that way and we can get him to 90 or 100 pitches."

Reed was starting in Louisville but the Reds called him up to help out in the bullpen.  They also wanted to see how he would do with a couple starts before the end of the season.

"They told me yesterday," Reed said. "He asked me how long I could go.  I told them as long as they wanted me to go.  He told me about the number I had today. I knew after the walk to Yellich my day was over.  I mean he's a big match up guy.  I got Yellich out twice but I got a little too fine with him.  It is something to build off of for sure."

Miley was crafting a shut out.  Through five innings, he allowed one base runner in the form of a Scott Schebler double.  He went into the sixth after facing 16 batters.

"Miley worked fast," Riggleman said.  "He had a lot of guys hitting off the end of the bat."

Lorenzen held the fort with 2 1.3 scoreless innings until the Reds could get the bat on the ball enough to tie the game.  Phillip Ervin hit a one-out single. After Curt Casali struck out, Dilson Herrera doubled into the left field corner.  Third base coach, Billy Hatcher, was waving Ervin around third.  Ryan Braun's throw through Perez, the shortstop beat Ervin to the plate but pulled Kratz slightly toward the dugout.  Ervin's slide caused a late tag.  The safe call held up under review.

Sal Romano took over in the eighth.  Joey Votto in his first game back after a knee contusion, laid out to glove a smash by Yelich.  Votto's throw retired the National League's leading hitter.

Billy Hamilton appeared as a pinch hitter for Romano with one-out in the eighth.  His double off Miley put the lead run in scoring position.  Brewers' manager Craig Counsell went to his bullpen, bringing left-hander Dan Jennings in to pitch to Schebler.  Jennings fielded a ground ball as Hamilton headed to third.  The pitcher ran at Hamilton who stayed in a run down long enough for Schebler to get to second.  Jennings was injured on the play.  Jordan Lyles came on to replace Jennings and face Jose Peraza.  The Reds' shortstop hit a line drive over Braun's head in left but Braun ran it down.

Jared Hughes took the hill to start the ninth for Cincinnati. He turned in a scoreless inning.

David Hernandez struck out the side in the top of the 10th.

Joakim Soria was the Brewer's pitcher in the bottom of the 10th.  Mason Williams singled with two outs but Hamilton's bid for a double ended in the glove of Jesus Aguilar at first base.  Had the drive cleared Aguilar and headed toward the corner, the odds were good that Williams would have scored the winning run.

Brice was called up before the game to replace Robert Stephenson, who was placed on the 10-game disabled list with a tender right shoulder.  Brice gave up Cain's home run and got Yelich to fly out but appeared to be in pain and left the game with an irregular heart beat.

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"We took him out as a precaution," Riggleman said.

Brice described the discomfort.

"I lost my breath and got real light headed.  I was able to get behind the mound and catch my breath and settle down a little bit. I threw another pitch and they decided to pull me out and not mess around with it."

"I've had some stuff go on. I've had it checked out," Brice said. " It always comes up negative. It always like an electrolyte imbalance. Last night I was told I'm coming up around 1:00.  I didn't get much sleep driving here from Columbus. I was pretty jacked up in the moment. It kind of sped up on me.  My blood pressure went out the roof.  It was pretty crazy."

The pitch to Cain was another matter.

"When it comes down to the first pitch, all you're trying to do is execute," Brice said.  "You can coulda, shoulda, woulda all you want but if he gets a hold of it, he gets a hold of it.  I have to look at the tape and see how I executed the pitch."

Jackson Stephens, who was the losing pitcher in Wednesday's contest, had to take over for Brice.  Aguilar singled but Stephens kept the Reds' deficit at one.

Josh Hader entered to face the top of the Reds' order in the bottom of the 11th.  He was seeking his 11th save against three blown saves.  Hader retired Scooter Gennett and Peraza which left Votto as the last Reds' hope.  Votto grounded out to seal the deal.

Suarez was a late scratch from the lineup.

"Suarez had back spasms during batting practice in the cage," Riggleman said..  "The trainer said an hour before the game we're going to have a decision on him late.  We had two lineups made out in case.  Sure enough it wasn't getting any better.  They told us he couldn't pinch hit or anything."