Yasiel Puig hit a rocket to left field off Jhoulys Chacin leading off the second inning. Sonny Gray struck out 12 Milwaukee Brewers to make Puig's 19th home run stand up in the Reds' 3-0 win that brought them with 4-1/2 games of first place.
Milwaukee manager Craig Counsel that Puig looks for a certain pitch and sticks to it until he gets it. He got his pitch on the third thrown to him by Chacin.
Gray manhandled a lineup without Christian Yelich and Yasmani Grandall both getting a planned day off. Gray's eight innings established a season high. His strikeouts tied a career high. It was pizza for everyone.
Chacin retired 13 straight Reds' batters after Puig's blast until Puig led off the seventh with a line single to center. He scored the second run after Derek Dietrich and Jose Iglesias singled. Jeremy Jeffress replaced Chacin. Curt Casali struck out and Gray hit for himself. It was a departure from Bell's MO of hitting for more runs. Gray sacrifice put two runners in scoring position for Jesse Winker, who flied out deep to right to end the inning.
Gray struck out Tony Saladino for his 12th strikeout. Manny Pina hit a towering fly ball to the right field wall that Puig gloved easily. Grandall hit for Jeffress. Gray issued his first walk on four pitches. Manager David Bell walked to the mound. After a word with Gray, the crowd cheered when Gray was allowed to stay in the game. Lorenzon Cain representing the tying run worked the count to 2-2, fouled off a pitch, then flied out to shallow right.
"I had a good curve ball tonight so I used it," Gray said. "We made some good plays. Puig made a catch in the eighth. The double play in the sixth was huge. When David came out in the eighth I said 'may I please finish this'. It was a good moment it was a big at bat. I'm glad I could get him out."
Bell wanted to give him the opportunity.
"I wanted to make sure he had another hitter in him after the walk," Bell said. "When I saw the look on his face there was no doubt. You can tell when someone means it. It seems like he's kind of getting momentum. He's been going a little deeper in the game. It is good to have him out there the way he competes."
Scooter Gennett who returned to the Reds from a right groin injury on Friday, left the game with a tight left groin. Ironically, he suffered the initial groin injury against the Brewers in the last week of spring training.
"We just got him out of there as a precaution. He felt it more hitting," Bell said.
The Reds added cushion in the bottom of the eighth. Joey Votto walked, Eugenio Suarez doubled down the left field line. Nick Senzel, who replaced Gennett, grounded out to third base. Puig's fly to center drove in his second run of the game.
Jose Iglesias replaced Gray who allowed no runs on four hits in his eight innings. Iglesias completed the shutout to earn his 15th save in 17 tries.
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