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Brewers take 5-4 win over reeling Reds

Brewers take 5-4 win over reeling Reds
Posted at 5:53 PM, May 29, 2016
and last updated 2016-05-29 17:53:11-04

MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Jonathan Lucroy drove in three runs and the Milwaukee Brewers earned a 5-4 victory over the reeling Cincinnati Reds on Sunday.

Lucroy finished with nine RBIs in the series. Leadoff hitter Jonathan Villar scored three runs and drove in another and Milwaukee won for the fifth time in six games.

Brewers starter Jimmy Nelson (5-3) struggled early, but settled down to allow two runs and six hits and two walks in 7 1-3 innings.

Jay Bruce homered for Cincinnati, which is 4-19 away from Great American Ball Park. The Reds have yet to win a road series this year and have lost 12 of their past 13 overall.

Cincinnati rallied in the ninth by stringing together three two-out singles off reliever Blaine Boyer to cut the lead to 5-4 before Boyer struck out pinch hitter Jordan Pacheco looking to end it for his first save of the season.

Villar has been a pleasant surprise for the Brewers.

Acquired in an offseason trade from Houston for a pitching prospect, Villar is hitting .307 with a .409 on-base percentage and holding down the shortstop position before top prospect Orlando Arcia takes over.

Bruce's homer to lead off the second was his 35th in 124 games against the Brewers and tied the game at 1-all.

The Reds appeared to have Nelson in big trouble in the second. The right-hander loaded the bases with no outs after hitting a batter and allowing two singles.

But Tucker Barnhart bounced into a double play that scored Adam Duvall, giving the Reds a 2-1 lead, and Reds starter Brandon Finnegan grounded out to end the inning.

Milwaukee rallied to take the lead with two outs in the third. Villar walked, Hernan Perez doubled off the wall to score Villar and scored on Lucroy's single to make it 3-2.

Finnegan (1-4) lost his fourth straight decision, allowing four runs in 6 1-3 innings. Villar added an RBI single in the fifth and walked in the seventh, scoring again on Lucroy's two-out triple.

Cincinnati hasn't won a series on the road since taking two of three in Milwaukee on Sept. 18-20, 2015.

PHILLIPS STAYS IN

Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips hit the wall in foul territory after catching a pop up in the first.

Phillips appeared to jam his left leg and ankle while making the play. He sat down in shallow right field while trainers attended to him, but stayed in the game.

TRAINER'S ROOM

LHP Jon Moscot is scheduled to come off the disabled list and start Tuesday in Colorado.

UP NEXT

Cincinnati will begin a four-game series in Colorado on Monday.