• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Bruce stays hot as Reds down Brewers

May 31, 2011 - 4:32 AM Cincinnati, OH (Sports Network) - Jay Bruce hit a three-run home run and added a triple to send the Cincinnati Reds to a 7-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers in the opener of a three-game series.

Paul Janish chipped in with two hits and an RBI for the Reds, who snapped a two-game losing streak. Jonny Gomes knocked in a run and scored once.

Travis Wood (4-3) threw six strong innings to pick up the win, giving up three runs on seven hits while striking out two and walking none.

Carlos Gomez and Josh Wilson homered for the Brewers, and Prince Fielder added three hits as Milwaukee had their two-game win streak halted.

Chris Narveson (2-4) went only four innings in defeat, giving up five runs on five hits. He walked two and fanned seven.

"We just have to stay away from that one big inning." Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. "I don't know what it is -- what happens to him when we get people on base and they have those big innings, but he's (Narveson) is going to have to figure out how to make pitches when he needs to. That's the difference between him crusing through games and him all of a sudden having a really bad inning."

Cincinnati struck first in the second inning. Bruce led off with a triple to right, and Gomes followed with a sacrifice fly to left to score Bruce.

The Reds exploded for four runs in the fourth. Joey Votto led off with a walk and Scott Rolen followed with a single to center to set the Reds up with men on first and second and no outs. Bruce followed by belting Narveson's pitch over the right field wall. The inning continued after Bruce's blast when Gomes came up and ripped a double to left. After Ryan Hanigan struck out, Janish roped a single to center to score Gomes.

"If you don't swing at the pitches they are trying to get you to chase, you're going to have a much easier time up there." Bruce said.

Milwaukee cut the lead to two in the fifth. Gomez and Wilson, as a pinch- hitter, went back-to-back to make it a 5-2 game. After Corey Hart singled to center, Ryan Braun followed with a double to center to score pinch-runner Nyjer Morgan. Fielder flew out to left to end the inning for Milwaukee.

The Reds put together a two-out two-run rally in the sixth. After Hanigan and Janish singled to give the Reds runners on first and second, pinch-hitter Fred Lewis came up and chopped one back up the middle to score Hanigan. Janish then scored on a throwing error by Jonathan Lucroy to push Cincinnati's lead to four. Brandon Phillips bounced out to second to end the inning for the Reds.

The Brewers countered with a threat in the seventh. After Gomez popped out, pinch-hitter Craig Counsell singled to left and advanced to second on a balk by Jose Arredondo. Rickie Weeks walked before Morgan grounded into a double- play to end the threat for Milwaukee.

Francisco Cordero pitched a scoreless ninth to close out the game for the Reds.

Game Notes

Monday marked the first game of a seven-game road trip for Milwaukee...The Brewers concluded play on Monday with an 8-18 record on the road this season...Milwaukee is 10-9 in the opening game of a series this year...Monday marked the opener of a nine-game homestand for the Reds...Hart was removed for a pinch runner in the fifth inning, and was replaced in right field by Morgan...Wood's six-inning performance gives him five quality starts during the month of May...Bruce overtook Fielder and the Phillies' Ryan Howard for National League supremacy in RBI with 43...Drew Stubbs entered the game in the eighth as a defensive replacement with Chris Heisey moving from center to left field...Bruce has hit 12 home runs during the month of May, two shy of a Reds' franchise record for home runs in a month.