Reds 6 Brewers 1

**OffTheHook** · 05-08-2012, 12:22 AM

Reds handle Brewers as Jay Bruce's HR caps 5-run 4th

MILWAUKEE -- Jay Bruce hit a three-run home run and Bronson Arroyo pitched solidly into the seventh inning, leading the Cincinnati Reds to a 6-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday night.
Bruce's ninth home run capped a five-run fourth inning off Marco Estrada (0-2). It extended his hitting streak to 10 games and Bruce is batting .405 (15 for 37) with six home runs and 12 RBIs during the run.

Arroyo (2-1) gave up a homer to Ryan Braun in the first -- the NL MVP's ninth. The right-hander was tough the rest of the way, giving up six hits and a walk with nine strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings.

He exited with two on and two outs in the seventh, but reliever Logan Ondrusek got Norichika Aoki to fly out to short right field to end the inning.

Cincinnati has won six of eight and is 3-1 in a stretch where it will play 13 of 16 on the road.

Milwaukee has lost five of six, scoring only 12 runs in that span. Aoki went 0 for 4 and the Brewers leadoff hitters are batting .162 (18 for 111) this year.

The Brewers played hours after learning that shortstop Alex Gonzalez tore his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee on Saturday and will miss the rest of the season. Milwaukee's first baseman Mat Gamel (torn ACL in right knee) and fifth starter Chris Narveson (torn left rotator cuff) are also out with season-ending injuries.

Estrada, making his third start in place of Narveson, pitched seven innings, giving up five runs on eight hits with five strikeouts.

He used 43 pitches to put the Reds down in order each of the first three innings, but unraveled to give up five runs in just 11 pitches to open the fourth.

Zack Cozart hit his third home run on the first pitch of the inning to tie the score 1-all. Drew Stubbs then hit Estrada's next pitch off the center field wall for a double.

Joey Votto went into an 0-2 hole, but hit the sixth pitch from Estrada down the right field line for a double, scoring Stubbs and giving the Reds a 2-1 lead.

Brandon Phillips followed with a first-pitch single to right, moving Votto to third.

Bruce then hit a 1-0 pitch deep onto the right-center field concourse, giving the Reds a 5-1 lead.

Milwaukee put runners on second and third with no outs in the fourth, and loaded the bases with two outs in the inning. Cesar Izturis, starting in place of Gonzalez, popped out to end the inning.

Pinch-hitter Miguel Cairo's ground-rule double scored Chris Heisey from second to make it 6-1 in the ninth.

Game notes
The victory was Dusty Baker's 1,499th. He is 1,499-1,380, 20th all-time for wins by a manager. . Before the game, the Reds activated INF Cairo from the 15-day DL and outrighted Willie Harris to Triple-A Louisville. The transaction removes Harris from the 40-man roster. He can refuse the assignment and become a free agent, or he has 72 hours to report to Louisville. . Cozart has a five-game hitting streak.

http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=320507108