MILWAUKEE – In a riveting match, Brice Turang of the Milwaukee Brewers smashed a two-run homer to propel his team to a narrow 3-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night. The star player was not alone in his efforts as Tyler Alexander provided a formidable pitching performance, striking out six batters over 5 2/3 innings of no-hit baseball, securing his first win of the season.
This victory marked Milwaukee’s fourth successive win following an initial 0-4 record, a redemption feat not seen since the 2021 Atlanta Braves. The Reds faced additional challenges as they played without the guidance of their first-year manager, Terry Francona, and several players who were left behind at the team hotel sick. However, bench coach Freddie Benavides admirably took over the managerial duties while most of the key players were active in the lineup.
Turang’s powerful drive in the fifth inning handed the Brewers a decisive 3-0 lead. It was his second home run of the season and extended his personal record to an eight-game hitting streak, spanning 11 games back to the last season. The Reds managed to snap their 35-inning scoreless drought when Christian Encarnacion-Strand sacrificed a fly ball in the eighth inning to bring TJ Friedl home, followed by Jeimer Candelario scoring with an RBI double.
Trevor Megill held his nerve in the final moments by getting Friedl to fly out, notching his first save. On the pitching front for Cincinnati, Nick Martinez struggled, allowing five hits and three earned runs over 4 2/3 innings. An interesting subplot involved Milwaukee’s left fielder, Jackson Chourio, who, after a difficult start on Opening Day, managed to hit safely in seven consecutive games.
Cincinnati seemed to face a looming fourth consecutive shutout, especially prior to Gavin Lux breaking the hitless drought with a single in the seventh inning. Historically, Milwaukee has maintained dominance over Cincinnati with a 39-14 record in their last 53 matchups.
Looking ahead, Milwaukee is set to feature RHP Elvin Rodríguez, who stands at 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA, against Cincinnati’s RHP Brady Singer, showcasing a 1-0 record with no earned runs allowed this season, on Saturday.