Kolten Wong Goes Long In Brewers Win

 

 

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Kolten Wong hit three home runs accounting for all five runs to keep the Milwaukee Brewers slimming playoff hopes alive with a 5-1 win over the Reds.

Wong connected against Hunter Greene in the second inning with Hunter Renfroe on base with a walk.  He repeated the feat in the sixth inning against Dauri Moreta with Rowdy Tellez on with a walk. He added a solo home run off Joel Kuhnel in the eighth inning.

"I felt solid. I felt really good.  Those walks hurt me. This is a good hitting team.  I feel like when I face them, they're pretty good about hitting mistakes.  Wong is really hot, feeling good about himself.  I tried to elevate the fastball and it leaked over the plate a little bit.

It was the 13th, 14th and 15th home runs of the season for Wong, the second time he's had two hom runs in a game this season and the sixth of his career.  It was his first three-home run game.

"Kolten Wong is a good player, a great player,"  David Bell said. "I've seen him play a lot.  He's a good player on a team fighting to make the playoffs.  He came through for them."

The home runs give the Brewers 40 home runs against Reds' pitching.  It breaks the mark set against the Reds in 2018, as the most against any opponent.

Brandon Woodruff allowed a pair of walks to TJ Friedl and back-to-back singles by Donvan Solano and Alejo Lopez in the second inning.

"We've seen Woodruff a lot," Bell said.  "We know what his fastball is like but we still couldn't get a solid swing on it."

The Brewers starter has pitched 21 innings in his last three games coming into the game.  He allowed four runs in that span for a 2.57 ERA and two straight wins.

Greene in his second start since returning from the Injured List on Saturday allowed just two hits and three walks in five innings.  He allowed two runs, the only runs in 11 innings since his return.

Kyle Farmer's 13th home run put the Reds on the scoreboard against Woodruff.