It's Michael Mania for the Cincinnati Reds as Lorenzen's grand slam caps at 12-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers

John Fay | Cincinnati Enquirer

Michael Mania has reached fever pitch in Redsland.

Michael Lorenzen hit a pinch-hit grand slam in the seventh inning to break open the game in a 12-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers before a crowd of 24,640 on a steamy day at Great American Ball Park.

It was Lorenzen's second home run in many days, third in three at-bats and his fifth of his career. It was first Reds' pinch-hit grand slam since Chris Heisey did it April 13, 2014.

"You guys ever seen anything like this Lorenzen stuff?" catcher Tucker Barnhart asked. "I promise you hitting is not that easy."

Lorenzen, a center fielder/closer in college, considers himself a baseball player, not a pitcher. But even the best baseball players don't have stretches like this.

"It's a surreal feeling for sure," Lorenzen said. "I'm seeing the ball really well right now. Yeah, I say it every time. I love this game. I love everything about it. When you're playing good it's extra special."

It looked like it would be a long frustrating day and another loss to the Brewers for the Reds until the seventh. They had twice loaded the bases with no outs and come away with one run. The Reds had lost seven straight to Brewers coming into the day.

Rookie right-hander Tyler Mahle went 5 2/3 innings and allowed three runs, only one of which was earned, on five hits. He walked three and struck out a career-12.

"I think that's the best performance we've had this year," Reds managerJim Riggleman said. "That was impressive. . . Just a fine composed young pitcher."

Mahle finished June 3-1 with a 2.18 ERA in six starts.

The Reds pitchers struck out 18 on the day -- a club record for a nine-inning game.

Eric Thames got the Reds again. He homered in the first. It was his 14th home run against the Reds over the last two season. Thames has a total of 42 home runs total in that period.

Mahle did his best pitching in the fifth. Pitcher Jhoulys Chacin singled with one out. Brad Miller followed with a double. The Reds intentionally walked Thames. Mahle struck out Jesus Aguilar and Travis Shaw to leave the bases loaded.

The Reds tied it in the bottom of the fifth. Adam Duvall led off with a walk. Curt Casali followed a nine-pitch at-bat that ended in a walk. Mahle bunted foul on first two sacrifice attempts. When finally got the bunt down, it was a good one. Third baseman Travis Shaw fielded it, but no one was covering first. It went down as a hit, loading the bases.

Scott Schebler lined to center to get Duvall in. Chacin got out of it from there.

The Brewers took the lead right back in the sixth. Hernan Perez hit a semi-routine grounder to Eugenio Suarez at third. Suarez bobbled it as he took it out of his glove. That was enough for Perez to beat it out. Jonathan Villar hit one to the wall in left. Perez scored. Villar took third on the throw home.

Erik Kratz got Villar home with a ground ball that second baseman Scooter Gennett made a diving stop on. Chacin reached on a single, ending Mahle’s day.

Mahle was not happy with the way his day ended.

"I made a lot of good pitches," Mahle said. "Then we put up one to tie it and then I made really bad pitches when we needed to go out and have a shutout inning. It's hard to be mad because we won, and it was such a great game."

The Reds loaded the bases with no out in the sixth as well — and again came away with only one run. Gennett and Suarez led off with singles. They moved up on a wild pitch. Jesse Winker walked to load the bases.

Duvall popped to short right on the first pitch. But pinch-hitter Tucker Barnhart delivered an RBI single. Pinch-Hitter Alex Brandon then struck out. Schebler grounded out to leave the bases loaded.

Jose Peraza led off in the seventh with a single against left-hander Mike Zagurski. Votto came back from down 0-2 to walk. Gennett followed with a drive to left that went off the wall for a double. Peraza scored to tie it.

The Brewers intentionally walked Suarez. Winker lined a single to right to get Votto in. That was it for Zagurski. Right-hander Jacob Barnes came on to face Duvall, who lined a two-run single to left to make it 6-3. Barnhart singled to load the bases.

"A lot of great at-bats," Rigglenman said.

Billy Hamilton was in the on-deck circle to pinch-hit during the Barnhart at-bat.

"We were going to put Billy in for defense anyway for Wink," Riggleman said. "Let's let Billy run for him. Instead of using (Brandon) Dixon there, I was saving a player, (I sued Lorenzen).

"A little bit of blind luck in the move. Mike made it look good"

"They had the infield in," Lorenzen said. "I was looking to get something in air. When I got in the box, they moved back. He threw a slider down that I was able to take. He threw me a fastball I was able to hit."

Lorenzen hit a 97-mph fastball out to left-center. What did he think he hit?

"It's a home run," he said.

Folks want Lorenzen to play more, play the outfield. He's content with his current role of reliever/pinch-hitter.

"When you want more, more and more, that's when you get in trouble," Lorenzen said. "I'm happy that Jim had enough faith in me to put me up there bases loaded, no oust. I'm happy that I'm able to build more trust with him. That's what it's about. If he's going to ask me to do something, he's going to have to actually believe I can get the job done."



