Brewers bullpen shuts down Reds to win home finale
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}MILWAUKEE -- The Brewers closed within two games of Colorado for the National League's second wild card with three games left, rallying to beat the Cincinnati Reds 4-3 Thursday as Brett Phillips hit a go-ahead double in the sixth inning.
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Milwaukee (84-75) closes the regular season at St. Louis, and the Rockies host the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Brewers are assured of their best record since finishing 96-66 in 2011, when they lost to the Cardinals in the NL Championship Series, Milwaukee's last playoff appearance.
After Cincinnati tied the score in the sixth on RBI singles by Scooter Gennett against Brent Suter and Jesse Winkler off Oliver Drake, Jared Hughes (5-3) entered with two on and the Reds loaded the bases when the reliever bobbled Jose Peraza's bunt for an error.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Hughes struck out Adam Duvall and got Stuart Turner to ground into a double play.
Anthony Swarzak worked around three walks in two hitless innings, and Corey Knebel struck out two in a perfect ninth for his 39th save in 45 chances.
Patrick Kivlehan's fourth-inning homer off Brent Suter put Cincinnati ahead, but Orlando Arcia's sacrifice fly against Sal Romano (5-8) tied the score in the bottom half. After putting the Brewers ahead, Walker scored on Ryan Braun's single.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Neil Walker hit an RBI double in the fifth and scored on Ryan Braun's single for a 3-1 lead.
Milwaukee starter Brent Suter gave up three runs and seven hits in five innings. Romano allowed four runs -- three earned -- and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings.
TRAINER'S ROOM
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Reds: SS Zack Cozart did not play after leaving Wednesday's game with right quadriceps tightness.
Brewers: 1B Eric Thames, who bruise his right foot with a foul ball in the eighth inning Wednesday, did not play. "He's sore today," manager Craig Counsell. "Eric has a shin guard on. He's trying to protect himself. It just hit him in a bad spot." … C Manny Pina missed his sixth consecutive game because of a sprained left thumb.
UP NEXT
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Reds: RHP Robert Stephenson (5-6) starts Friday at the Chicago Cubs. Among four rookies in the rotation, he is 5-2 with a 2.87 ERA over his last seven starts.
Brewers: RHP Chase Anderson (11-4), who pitches the series opener at St. Louis, is 1-2 with a 2.95 ERA in eight starts against the Cardinals.