• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Encarnacion leads Reds past Brewers

Apr 10, 2008 - 8:46 PM By Dave Cotey PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

MILWAUKEE (Ticker) - Edwin Encarnacion continued to pick his spots.

Encarnacion snapped out of a slump Thursday with a two-run homer in the seventh inning, powering the Cincinnati Reds to a 4-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.

Eight days earlier, Encarnacion belted a three-run walkoff homer off Arizona Diamondbacks closer Brandon Lyon to give the Reds a 6-5 triumph. He had been 0-for-18 before his latest homer.

"I knew what I was doing (wrong)," Encarnacion said. "I had to be patient and not worry about it. It's a long season."

The home run kept the Reds from spoiling a strong outing by righthander Aaron Harang (1-1), who allowed five hits and no walks with three strikeouts in eight innings.

"He threw an outstanding ballgame," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "He was throwing harder when he came out of the game. He throws strike one then goes to work from there."

Brewers starter Carlos Villanueva (1-1) cruised through six innings before allowing five consecutive hits - including Encarnacion's home run - in the seventh. Paul Bako added an RBI single in the inning off reliever Brian Shouse.

"He didn't make a good pitch on Encarnacion, and it kind of went down hill from there," Brewers manager Ned Yost said of Villanueva. "Up until that point, he was excellent."

Villanueva retired 13 of the first 14 batters he faced and still looked strong entering the seventh.

"I just left a couple balls up that inning and they didn't miss my mistakes," Villanueva said. "That was the difference. It happened quick."

Baker gave the slumping Encarnacion the night off Tuesday.

"He hit, he hit and he hit (Tuesday)," Baker said. "He hit so much he got a blister. Sometimes you've got to clear your mind. My job as the manager is to know, or guess, when a guy needs a day off."

Francisco Cordero, who pitched for the Brewers in 2006 and 2007 before joining Cincinnati as a free agent during the offseason, pitched a perfect ninth for his second save. He was booed loudly upon entering the game.

"I just do what I do - come in and close games," Cordero said. "I'm not going to argue with the fans. I did my job over there. Next thing you know, I come here and the cheers turn to boos. But I have no hard feelings with the fans."

The Brewers struck first off Harang when J.J. Hardy's single through a drawn-in infield plated Bill Hall from third base in the bottom of the second.

Harang, however, retired 20 of the next 22 batters he faced. He needed just 99 pitches, 74 of which were strikes.

"Talking with (Reds catcher) Bako, he said let's concentrate on keeping it down," Harang said. "They are (aggressive) and I throw strikes so that makes them have to swing the bat. They didn't hit a lot of stuff too hard."

The Reds tied the score at 1-1 in the top of the fifth. Villanueva walked Encarnacion before Scott Hatteberg singled for the Reds' first hit of the game.

Bako followed with a double down the right field line that scored Encarnacion.