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Hall's grand slam lifts Brewers over Reds

Apr 17, 2007 - 4:41 AM CINCINNATI (Ticker) -- The Milwaukee Brewers did not hit one grand slam during the 2006 season, but that won't be the case this year.

Bill Hall hit his first career grand slam and Rickie Weeks added a solo home run as the Brewers pounded out a 10-6 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

Hall's slam, hit on the eighth pitch of an at-bat against Todd Coffey, was the Brewers' first since September 7, 2005.

"I've been struggling," Hall said. "I hit a couple of balls hard in that at-bat that went foul. I've had some good at-bats lately and hit balls hard but none of them fell in. It was a little frustrating. I was more relieved than anything when I hit it."

Chris Capuano (2-0) picked up the win for the Brewers, pitching 5 2/3 innings and allowing three runs - none earned - during a somewhat controversial sixth inning.

With Milwaukee ahead, 4-0, and no outs in the sixth, Capuano faced Jeff Conine with the bases loaded.

Conine shattered his bat on a looper toward center field and second base umpire Larry Poncino immediately called for the infield fly rule, declaring Conine out and allowing baserunners to advance at their own risk.

However, the looping hit glanced off the top of Weeks' glove at second base and went into center field, allowing Ryan Freel to score from third and Brandon Phillips and Adam Dunn to advance one base.

Conine argued that the infield fly rule should not have been called because the ball was hit too sharply, as did Reds Manager Jerry Narron, to no avail.

"I disagree with the call," Narron said. "The last thing I thought he'd call was the infield fly."

Milwaukee manager Ned Yost thought the right call was made.

"Absolutely, I thought it would be an infield fly," he said. "You see it all the time. The ball just stayed up I thought Rickie (Weeks) was going to catch it but he couldn't bring it down."

Capuano said he couldn't comment on the play.

"I didn't see it too well because I was ducking Conine's bat," he said. "It was a funky inning. I was happy we got out of that inning with the lead. It actually was a momentum booster for us that we still had the lead."

Capuano, who walked one and had five strikeouts, then got Ken Griffey Jr. to ground out for the second out of the inning, at which point he was replaced by Greg Aquino.

Aquino promptly allowed a two-run single to Edwin Encarnacion, cutting the Brewers' lead to 4-3. But he escaped further damage by getting Juan Castro to fly out.

Hall's grand slam in the top of the seventh, his second home run of the year, broke the game open.

Coffey had allowed just one run in 6 1/3 innings before he took the mound in the seventh. But he started the inning by hitting Weeks with a pitch, allowing a single to J.J. Hardy and hitting Prince Fielder with a pitch to set the table for Hall.

"There's no excuse," Coffey said. "It was my fault tonight. I wanted the 2-2 pitch to Hall, but I want every pitch. Regardless of the 2-2 pitch, the 3-2 pitch was a fastball down the middle."

Eric Milton (0-2) took the loss, allowing three runs - two earned - and three hits in five innings. The lefthander, who threw 99 pitches, struck out four and walked two. Weeks hit his third home run in his last four games off Milton in the third inning. Corey Hart added a two-run double for the Brewers.

Josh Hamilton continued to be the Reds' feel-good story of the season, hitting a pinch-hit two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning.

It was the third homer of the season for the former No. 1 draft pick, who returned to baseball this season following a suspension for drug use.

"He'll be in there somewhere tomorrow," Narron said of Hamilton. "I just don't know where."