Reds to avoid 100 losses after outhitting Brewers

MILWAUKEE — Somewhere, just maybe, across the globe, members of the 1982 Reds were popping cans of Bürger beer to celebrate the knowledge that their place in franchise history as the only Reds team to lose 100 games was safe.

With a 9-7 victory over the Brewers at Miller Park on Saturday, the 2015 version of the Reds won its 63rd game of the season, eliminating this year’s team from the infamy of losing 100 games for the second time since the first professional baseball team called Cincinnati home in 1869.

The victory also gave the Reds a game-and-a-half lead over the Brewers, a team that failed to reach its 63rd victory over the 162-game schedule for the eighth straight game, while the Reds have now won one more game in September (nine) than they did in all of August.

BOX SCORE: Reds 9, Brewers 7

Three times in Saturday’s game, the Reds came from behind to take the lead, finally scoring three in the eighth to get to J.J. Hoover and Aroldis Chapman to hold the lead.

“I’ve just been very, very pleased with the way our guys have been playing, especially since we rolled over August and got into September,” Reds manager Bryan Price said. “Most of the teams we’re playing are teams that are in the playoff hunt and they’re pushing and pushing and our guys are pushing back. I’m very proud of that. Down 2-0, down 6-3, down 7-6, and being able to find our way back into the game — and in that eighth inning, so much of it was putting the ball in play.”

Brandon Phillips hit a two-run single in the eighth to break the tie after the Brewers elected to intentionally walk Joey Votto to load the bases.

After a leadoff single by Eugenio Suarez and a two-out single by Jason Bourgeois, Skip Schumaker came up with runners on the corners and blooped a 1-2 offering into short left field.

Brewers third baseman Elian Herrera and left fielder Shane Peterson both tried to slide for the ball, but it landed between them and the two hit each other’s knees, scoring Suarez easily from third to tie the game at 7.

While Peterson, who had just entered the game for the injured Khris Davis, eventually got up and walked off the field under his own power, Herrera did not. After a delay of approximately 12 minutes, Herrera was taken off the field on a cart.

Hoover struck out three and allowed a hit in an inning of work, while Chapman came into the game in the ninth for his 32nd save of the season.

Reds starter Josh Smith gave up four runs on six hits in just four innings on the mound. In his fourth career start, the 28-year-old right-hander allowed a run in three of his four innings, including two in the first.

Smith returned to the Reds’ rotation after being called up when rosters expanded following the end of the Triple-A season, and when spots opened up by the innings limitations of Michael Lorenzen and Raisel Iglesias.

Smith, who has pitched twice since his call-up from Louisville, struggled with his command once again, failing to throw a first-pitch strike to any of the six batters he faced in the first.

“For me, it’s huge. I’m not (throwing) 100 like (Aroldis Chapman) or mid-90s like these other guys, so strike one is more important for me than these other guys,” Smith said. “It’s something I’m working to get better at and something I continue to work at and try to do better next time out.”

Smith retired two of the first three batters he faced in the first, but then walked Davis on five pitches before giving up a two-run double to Domingo Santana to fall into a 2-0 hole early.

The Reds took the lead in the third when Smith led off with a drive that bounced off the wall in center field and caromed along the warning track in right as he ran around the bases for a stand-up triple.

The next batter, Jason Bourgeois, hit a grounder to second to score Smith easily. Schumaker then singled and Votto followed with his 28th home run of the season, giving the Reds a 3-2 lead.

That lead wouldn’t last long, as Brewers second baseman Scooter Gennett doubled to lead off the third and then scored on Davis’ single.

Logan Schafer then led off the fourth with his first home run of the season. Smith gave up a one-out single to Brewers starter Taylor Jungmann, but Smith got Gennett to ground into a double play to end the inning.

Frazier’s two-run home run in the fifth brought the Reds within a run at 7-6. It was Frazier’s 35th home run of the season, making him just the second player in team history to hit at least 35 home runs and 40 doubles in the same season. Frank Robinson hit 39 homers and 51 doubles in 1952.

“It’s unbelievable, it really is — 41 doubles, 35 home runs. That’s a good year, I don’t care what you're batting, honestly,” said Frazier, who is now hitting .259 on the season after going 1-for-5. “You think about all the stuff that coulda, shoulda, woulda, a bunch of times where you could have gotten another double or robbed of a home run, it all adds up. I’m just very excited. It’s a great feat and I’ll have it forever.”

Jay Bruce singled after Frazier’s homer, ending Jungmann’s night. Jungmann, also a rookie, was one of the bright spots of the Brewers’ season, but he has struggled in September, going 1-1 with a 6.32 ERA in his first three starts of the season’s final month before allowing six runs (five earned) to the Reds in his five innings on Saturday. He’s now 1-1 with a 6.97 ERA in September after going 8-5 with a 2.48 ERA in his first 15 starts.

After Jungmann was pulled in favor of Jeremy Jeffress, Suarez reached on an error by Brewers shortstop Jean Segura, Tucker Barnhart sacrificed the runners over and pinch-hitter Brayan Pena grounded out, scoring Bruce to tie the game at 6.

Manny Parra entered in the seventh inning and retired the first two batters he faced before Adam Lind lined a ball off Parra’s back for a single. Davis then singled to center, ending Parra’s night. Burke Badenhop gave up a ground-ball single to right on his first pitch, giving the Brewers a 7-6 lead.

"It was very nice. We’re resilient, we’re still fighting,” Frazier said. “Every stat counts and every W counts, as well.”