Rowdy Tellez drove in four runs with two homers and a double to back a six strong innings from Brandon Woodruff as the Milwaukee Brewers kept pace in the wild-card chase with a 7-6 victory over the visiting Cincinnati Reds on Sunday.
Tellez had a solo homer in a four-run second inning and added another solo shot, his 30th, in the fourth inning that put Milwaukee in front 7-2. He doubled in two runs in the first.
Woodruff (10-4) allowed two runs on five hits with 11 strikeouts and one walk.
The Brewers (74-66), who took two of three from the Reds, entered the day three games behind the San Diego Padres for the National League’s final wild-card spot.
The Reds (56-81) scored two runs off right-hander Devin Williams in the ninth to pull within 7-6.
Spencer Steer doubled to open the ninth and Alejo Lopez reached on an infield single. Steer scored and Lopez advanced to third when Matt Reynolds reached on a two-base throwing error by Milwaukee third baseman Jace Peterson.
Steer scored on a TJ Friedl’s sacrifice fly, but center fielder Garrett Mitchell prevented another run with the diving catch. Williams then struck out Jonathan India for his 12th save in 13 chances.
Lopez brought the Reds within 7-4 in the seventh with his first career homer, a two-run shot off Peter Strzelecki.
Willy Adames and Tellez each homered in the second off Justin Dunn (1-3) when the Brewers took a 6-2 lead. Peterson walked to open the inning, advanced on a ground out and came home on Christian Yelich’s single.
Adames then sent a 2-2 pitch 406 feet to center for his 28th homer. Tellez followed with his 29th, a 379-foot shot right.
Milwaukee immediately jumped on Dunn for a 2-0 lead. Yelich and Adames opened with consecutive singles and Tellez followed with a two-run double into the right-field corner.
Cincinnati answered with two runs in the second on doubles by Jake Fraley and Lopez and Reynolds’ RBI single.
Dunn was tagged for six runs on six hits in three innings, walking three and striking out one.
–Field Level Media
