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Bruce, Reds edge Brewers in extras

Jul 10, 2011 - 4:31 AM Milwaukee, WI (Sports Network) - Jay Bruce homered leading off the 10th inning and the Reds got four more runs off Marco Estrada to get by the Brewers, 8-4, in the third meeting of a four-game series.

After Milwaukee failed to score with a runner in scoring position and no outs in the ninth, Estrada (2-6) caught too much of the plate on a changeup to Bruce, who deposited the offering into the right-field seats for his 21st home run of the season.

"I was looking for a pitch up and in the zone that I could put a good swing on," Bruce said. "It was a big game for us. With the All-Star break coming up, we wanted to pick up some momentum."

Ramon Hernandez, who hit a two-run homer earlier in the game, pinch-hitter Miguel Cairo, Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips each added run-scoring singles in the extra frame for Cincinnati, which had lost four of five coming in.

Bruce and Votto both finished with three hits, while Bill Bray (2-1) earned the victory by stranding Rickie Weeks on third to end the ninth inning.

The Brewers took each of the first two games in the set by one run and were on the verge of another close win when Weeks reached second base with no outs in the ninth.

Nyjer Morgan, who made a spectacular running grab at the warning track in center to take an extra-base hit away from Zack Cozart in the top half, struck out on a foul bunt trying to move Weeks to third base. Corey Hart and Mark Kotsay flew out to send the game to extra innings.

Bruce gave the Reds the lead with one swing of the bat in the 10th, Hernandez plated Scott Rolen with a single and Craig Counsell's error led to three more unearned insurance runs.

Francisco Cordero gave up a run-scoring hit to Yuniesky Betancourt in the bottom half to account for the final margin.

Reds starter Johnny Cueto gave up as many runs in the first two innings as he had in any start this season. Hart and Kotsay each knocked in a run in Milwaukee's opening at-bat, and Shaun Marcum put down a suicide squeeze to score Betancourt in the second.

Marcum was also shaky in the early frames, giving up an RBI double to Fred Lewis in the second inning prior to Hernandez launching one off the backdrop beyond the center-field wall for his 10th home run.

The rest of regulation was full of missed opportunities from both sides. The Reds twice had the bases loaded with one out, but Rolen and Lewis were retired in both instances -- in the third and fifth -- to keep it tied.

The Brewers also left the bags full in the third and stranded three more runners over the next two innings.

"We went a long time without scoring, but we had our chances," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said.

Game Notes

The Class-A Dayton Dragons, a minor league affiliate for the Reds, played in front of their 815th consecutive sellout at Fifth Third Field on Saturday to establish the new all-time sports record, breaking the mark set by the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers from 1977-95...In All-Star news, injured Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun, who was the National League's leading vote getter but has been sidelined for the last week with a strained left calf, was replaced by the Pirates' Andrew McCutchen. Rolen, who left nine runners on base Saturday, was also named an injury replacement for the Braves' Chipper Jones...Cueto surrendered three runs on six hits and four walks over 6 1/3 innings, and Marcum gave up three runs on six hits and three walks in six frames...The Brewers have lost eight of Marcum's last nine starts.