Craig Counsell – Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI
Entering Monday nights series opener against Cincinnati, the Milwaukee Brewers had been outscored 37-5 in the opening two innings of games this season. Facing Reds starter Trevor Bauer, who entered the game with the majors best ERA at 0.68, wasn’t looking good for the Brewers. Not to mention, Bauer allowed just one run on three hits while striking out 12 in a 8-3 Reds victory over the Brewers on August 7.
The recipe for success wasn’t a good one, but the Brewers had other ideas.
Justin Smoak’s first-inning RBI single put the Brewers up early and they would never trail in a 4-2 win over the Reds at Miller Park. Smoak also clubbed a two-run homer, while Omar Narvaez also went deep as the Brewers had a 4-0 lead in the first four innings, on the way to victory.
The win snapped a four-game losing streak for the Brewers (12-15).
Brett Anderson (2-2) held the Reds scoreless for the first five innings before allowing lead-off homers to Curt Casali in the sixth and Eugenio Suarez in the seventh. Anderson allowed five hits and a walk while striking out three to secure his second straight win.
Devin Williams, David Phelps and Josh Hader held the Reds in check the rest of the way. Hader earned the save and has now pitched 8 1/3 innings this season without allowing a hit.
Brandon Woodruff (1-2, 3.23) gets the start in game two for the Brewers on Tuesday night. Luis Castillo (0-3, 4.44) goes for the Reds.
Counsell speaks out
Before the game, Brewers manager wore a “Black Lives Matter” T-shirt to his session with reporters and started the session by discussing the police shooting of 29-year-old Jacob Blake in Kenosha on Sunday. Blake is hospitalized and currently in serious condition.
“A Black man was shot and his life is in peril, and it frankly shouldn’t be,” Counsell said. “We’ve got a systemic problem that we need to address, and we all need to educate ourselves. Whether you agree or disagree with what I’m saying, I think it’s important that we continue to think, we continue to pursue policy change, we continue to act, because there’s violence happening that just absolutely should not be happening. We can’t stay quiet about it.”
AUDIO: Craig Counsell delivers message on Kenosha shooting :34