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Kotsay lifts Brewers over Reds

Jul 9, 2011 - 6:06 AM Milwaukee, WI (Sports Network) - Mark Kotsay drove in the tying and winning runs in Milwaukee's three-run ninth inning, giving the Brewers a thrilling 8-7 win over the Cincinnati Reds in the second meeting of a four-game series.

Kotsay put the Reds in front with a solo home run in the sixth, but his error in the next-half inning helped the Reds push three across for a 7-5 lead.

Francisco Cordero (3-2) couldn't hold the two-run cushion in the ninth, with the first damage coming on an RBI triple by Nyjer Morgan, who recorded the second out of the inning in collision at home plate.

Cordero then walked Prince Fielder and gave up an infield single to Casey McGehee to load the bases. Kotsay, down to his last strike, placed a humpback liner to right, and pinch-runner Carlos Gomez raced around from second and slid in head-first at home to finish off the comeback.

"You need a bazooka to throw [Gomez] out on that ball, that's why they put him out there," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "It seems like they can find a way to get that two-out hit."

Rickie Weeks recorded an inside-the-park home run and added an RBI double for the Brewers, who have won three straight on the heels of a 1-7 stretch.

"We really played a good ballgame. Even if the outcome was different I thought we played well," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said.

Joey Votto and Jay Bruce each homered for the Reds, who have lost four of five overall.

Cincinnati blew a four-run lead and trailed 5-4 after Kotsay's second homer of the season. But in the seventh, Kotsay misplayed Votto's ball down the left- field line, allowing Zack Cozart to score and advancing Votto to third.

Brandon Phillips plated Votto with a sacrifice fly, and Bruce followed with his 20th home run of the season for a 7-5 lead.

Marco Estrada (2-5) pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to earn the win in relief.

Brewers starter Zack Greinke got off to a rough start, yielding two runs in the first inning on Votto's solo blast to left-center and Bruce's RBI single.

The Reds doubled their lead in the third when Scott Rolen hit one off Mat Gamel's glove in third to score Drew Stubbs and Edgar Renteria.

Weeks got the Brewers on the board via his second career inside-the-parker in the bottom of the third. The All-Star second baseman, who will be in this year's Home Run Derby, smoked a ball high off the angled wall in center that caromed back towards left field. Weeks never stopped running, and by the time the relay throw reached the infield he was already crossing home plate.

Milwaukee tied things in the fifth. Weeks plated Greinke all the way from first with a gapper to right, then scored on Morgan's base hit. Morgan later moved to third on Corey Hart's single and trotted home on Fielder's sac fly to right.

Game Notes

Weeks' homer was Milwaukee's third inside-the-parker this season...Kotsay was filling in for injured left fielder Ryan Braun, who missed a sixth straight game with a strained left calf...Neither starter factored in the decision. Greinke was touched for four runs -- two earned -- on seven hits over six frames, while Mike Leake lasted just 5 1/3 innings and allowed five runs on seven hits...Greinke fanned 10 for the 15th double-digit strikeout game of his career...Stubbs had three hits for the Reds...Hart went 3-for-5...The Brewers are 20-13 in one-run games this year, a mirror image of the Reds' 13-20 mark.