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Reds try to follow up thrilling win over Brewers

Apr 2, 2011 - 2:32 PM (Sports Network) - Cincinnati lefty Travis Wood makes the first start of his second season in the big leagues tonight, when the Reds host the Brewers in the second of a three-game, schedule-opening series at Great American Ball Park.

The hosts won the opener in dramatic fashion on Thursday when Ramon Hernandez hit a walkoff three-run homer to complete a four-run rally to shock the Brewers, 7-6.

Holding a 6-3 lead, John Axford (0-1) came on for the Brewers to try and close out the game in the ninth, but was unable to do so. The closer allowed a leadoff single to Brandon Phillips, then issued a walk to Joey Votto, before Scott Rolen reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases. Jay Bruce went down on strikes and Jonny Gomes lined a first-pitch fastball to center that was good for a sacrifice fly, making it a 6-4 game.

Hernandez then stepped in and lined a second-pitch four-seam fastball over the wall in right.

The home run capped a big day for Hernandez, who finished 4-for-5, while Drew Stubbs added a solo homer and double for the defending NL Central champion Reds.

Rickie Weeks hit a solo homer and knocked in two, while Carlos Gomez and Ryan Braun also added a solo shot for Milwaukee, which is hoping to challenge for the division crown under new skipper Ron Roenicke, who was hired in November as a replacement for the fired Ken Macha.

Yovani Gallardo worked six full innings, yielding a pair of runs on seven hits with three walks and four strikeouts.

Wood, a 24-year-old from Little Rock, Ark., was a second-round pick of the Reds in the 2005 draft. He didn't make the big club out of spring training in 2010, but was called up after a bevy of pitching staff injuries and was 5-4 in 17 starts with a 3.51 earned run average in 102 2/3 innings.

He gets the call in game No. 2 this year after projected starters Johnny Cueto and Homer Bailey suffered injuries in spring training and will be shelved for their initial turns in the rotation.

Wood was 1-0 with a 3.97 ERA in 11 1/3 innings against the Brewers as a rookie, allowing eight hits and five runs while walking two batters and striking out 12.

For the Brewers, right-hander Shaun Marcum takes the hill for the first time as a National Leaguer. The 29-year-old has made each of his 120 big-league appearances as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays, including 12 wins as a rookie in 2007 and 13 wins in 31 starts last season.

He was acquired by Milwaukee in an offseason trade for minor-leaguer Brett Lawrie.

Marcum, who's never faced the Reds, has allowed 549 hits in 592 career innings while walking 184 batters and striking out 479.

Opponents have hit .244 off him over his career.

The Reds were 11-3 against the Brewers last season, going 7-1 against them in Cincy.