Brewers Early Scoring Leads To Third Straight Win Over Reds

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Rookie Andrus Monasterio continued his early success with a three-run home run for the Milwaukee Brewers. Adrian Houser made it stand up to carry the Brewers to a 5-1 win.

Monasterio ended his first week of the season with a .412 average and made a game-saving play in the Friday night season opener.

Ben Lively has been pitching well since his long awaited return to the Major Leagues but appeared rusty in the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers. He walked Owen Miller and Jon Singleton before rookie Monasterio lifted a high fly to center field. Will Benson, playing center for the first time, was turned around and didn't get to the fence in time to make a leaping catch. The ball hit on top of the fence. At 6'5" Benson, a gifted athlete, was capable of catching the ball. 

"I didn't realize his home run was going to go that far. I got a good bead on it and I said whoa but I wasn't close," Benson said.

It was Monasterio's first career home run.

Monasterio left the game after the third inning. Benson, who singled for the Reds' first hit, was caught off second on a pickoff attempt. Benson inadvertently hit Monasterio in the face. Mike Brosseau hit for the rookie, leading off the fourth. 

Benson was originally ruled out on the play but a challenge by the Reds overturned the call.

"I was trying to get back," Benson said. "I did a little swim move. Honestly, I didn't even know I hit him in the face until after the fact. I didn't know I hit anything. I was concentrating on getting my other hand in. I grew up playing with him in Double A. He was with the Indians at the time. We have some history."

Victor Caratini touched Lively for his third home run, leading off the fifth inning. Singles by Joey Wiemer and Miller with a walk to Christian Yelich in between plated the Brewers' fifth run.

Milwaukee starter, Adrian Houser, retired the first seven Reds' batters before Benson's single. Matt McLain doubled to lead off the fourth for the Reds. India reached on an infield hit. It was originally ruled a throwing error on Brosseau but the scoring was changed to a hit.

Fraley put the Reds on the scoreboard, leading off the seventh with his seventh home run and second in as many games.

"Houser was tough on our right handers," Bell said. "He used his sinker heavily against our right handed hitters to get ground balls. That's really his game."

Lively retired the last nine batters he faced. He saved the bullpen by pitching seven innings. He allowed five runs on six hits and three walks. He fanned five.

"I had no slider," Lively said. "I was falling behind. It was one of those days. I'm going to fight, no matter what. That's why I throw a bunch of pitches. I have a chance to stay in the game with all of them. If one is bad, I can flip the script with another one."

"Really it was just uncharacteristic with the walks," Bell said. "If anything that was it. The rest of the innings he actually pitched well, got us into the eighth inning for our bullpen. All that was good but the walks led to their runs today."