Brewers put the reds in their place, make it three in a row

CINCINNATI (AP) — Adrian Houser threw a sparkling seven innings and Andruw Monasterio hit his first career home run, leading the Milwaukee Brewers to a 5-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday.

Victor Caratini also went deep as Milwaukee (32-27) won for the fourth time in five games. The NL Central-leading Brewers also picked up their first road series win since sweeping a three-game set in Seattle April 17-19.

Houser (2-1) allowed six hits, including Jake Fraley’s seventh homer in the seventh. He pulled out two and walked none.

“That was the order,” Houser said. “This is where it all begins. That’s how we were able to hide things and be able to disguise other lands. Just hit points and attack early. Getting those early strikes is a big thing for me.

Cincinnati (26-33) lost its fourth straight game. Reds right-hander Ben Lively (3-3) was charged with five runs and six hits over seven innings in his first loss since May 19. He struck out five and walked three.

“It was really unusual with the steps,” Reds manager David Bell said. “If anything, that was it. The rest of the innings, he actually pitched well.

Milwaukee got off to a fast start. With runners at first and second via a pair of steps, Monasterio hit a 400-foot drive down the center for a 3-0 lead in the first.

The Brewers added two more in the fifth. Caratini opened with a 429-foot drive to right center for his third homer of the season. Joey Wiemer then scored a single, advanced on Christian Yelich’s walk and scored on Owen Miller’s single at center.

Matt McLain had two of Cincinnati’s six hits. The rookie shortstop is averaging .342 in his first 18 major league games.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Reds: RHP Hunter Greene has had his next scheduled start pushed back a few days due to a stiff right hip. He will launch again on Sunday in Saint-Louis. Bell said Greene’s injury was “not a major concern”.

FOLLOWING

Reds left-hander Andrew Abbott, who was added to the club’s cab roster on Sunday, will make his MLB debut on Monday night against Brewers right-hander Julio Teheran (1-1, 0.82 ERA) in the final of the four-game series.

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