CINCINNATI — TJ Friedl delivered a thrilling finish for the Cincinnati Reds with a spectacular leaping catch in center field to seal the game and deny Jake Bauers’ hopes of a game-tying home run. This stunning play capped off the Reds’ 4-2 victory, ending the Milwaukee Brewers’ eight-game winning streak on Tuesday night.
Tyler Stephenson sparked Cincinnati’s offense with a home run, while pinch-hitter Gavin Lux was instrumental in driving in the go-ahead run, thanks to a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning. Adding to the firepower, Will Benson hit a home run, helping the Reds bounce back from a three-game losing streak.
For Milwaukee, Sal Frelick sent one out of the park, and Christian Yelich continued his hot streak, contributing two hits to reach a 10-game hitting streak.
Cincinnati initially lagged behind 2-0 but found momentum in the fourth inning against Milwaukee’s starting pitcher, Freddy Peralta. Although Peralta was dominant early on, striking out six of the first 11 batters and allowing only one hit, Elly De La Cruz broke through with a double off the left-field wall. Stephenson quickly followed with a two-run homer on a fastball clocked at 96.6 mph from Peralta.
On the mound, Grant Ashcraft secured the win, improving his record to 4-4, and Emilio Pagan recorded his 15th save of the season.
Yelich initiated the scoring for Milwaukee, with an RBI single in the first inning. Frelick added to their lead with a solo home run off Reds starter Hunter Greene in the fourth, marking his fifth home run of the season and breaking a 13-game home run drought.
A pivotal moment came in the eighth inning when Benson extended the Reds’ lead with a home run to left-center, a long-awaited shot since his last home run on May 18 during a prolific stretch when he hit five home runs over four games.
Notably, four of Stephenson’s last five home runs have been in the team’s past eight games.
Looking ahead, the series finale is set for Wednesday afternoon. The Reds will send left-hander Andrew Abbott, boasting a perfect 5-0 record with a 1.51 ERA, to the mound. As for Milwaukee, they have yet to name a starting pitcher, but right-hander Quinn Priester is anticipated to handle a significant portion of the innings.