Yelich homer streak snapped, but Brewers hold off Reds
CINCINNATI (AP) — Christian Yelich failed to homer for the first time this season, ending his record-tying streak, but he doubled in the ninth and scored on Ryan Braun’s double as the Milwaukee Brewers rallied for a 4-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday night before the smallest crowd in Great American Ball Park history.
Yelich had homered in each of Milwaukee’s first four games, tying the major league record shared by Willie Mays (1971), Mark McGwire (1998), Nelson Cruz (2011), Chris Davis (2013) and Trevor Story (2016). On Monday, his only hit set up the Brewers’ fourth win in five games.
The NL MVP doubled with two outs in the ninth off Raisel Iglesias (0-1) and came around on Braun’s second double of the game.
Alex Wilson (1-0) allowed one hit over 1⅔ innings. Josh Hader gave up a double in the ninth before getting his third save in three chances.
Players wore facemasks in 40-degree temperatures. The announced crowd of 7,799 was the smallest in the ballpark’s history, coming a season after Cincinnati had its worst home attendance since 1984.
Tanner Roark gave up three runs in the first inning and lasted 4⅓ innings in his debut with the Reds, who got him from the Nationals as part of their offseason overhaul of the rotation. Milwaukee sent nine batters to the plate in the top of the first, which lasted 20 minutes. Jesus Aguilar’s two-run single highlighted the rally.
Yasiel Puig got his first hit with the Reds — and the first by a Cincinnati outfielder — to end a streak of 14 scoreless innings. His two-run double in the fifth off Zach Davies cut it to 3-2. Davies gave up four hits in five innings.
Derek Dietrich grounded into a run-producing force-out that tied it in the sixth.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Reds: Right-hander Hunter Greene, the second overall pick in 2017, had a setback while throwing last week and will need Tommy John surgery. Greene didn’t pitch after July 26 last season because of a sprained ligament in the elbow. He was cleared to throw over the winter. Dick Williams, the president of baseball operations, said MRIs found new damage to the ligament.
UP NEXT
Brewers: Jhoulys Chacin (1-0) allowed three runs in 5 1/3 innings of the Brewers’ opening win over St. Louis. He’s 0-2 with a 4.22 ERA in five starts and one relief appearance at Great American Ball Park.
Reds: Anthony DeSclafani makes his season debut. He missed the first two months last season with a strained oblique but led the rotation with seven wins. He was 0-1 in three starts against Milwaukee with a 6.00 ERA last season.