Reds beat Brewers 7-4, Cincinnati controls its own destiny in wild card race

MILWAUKEE — The Cincinnati Reds control their own destiny in the wild card race after a 7-4 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday.

The Redlegs went into Saturday's game back 0.5 after the Mets beat the Marlins earlier in the day. With Cincinnati's win, the Reds and Mets are now tied for the final wild card spot, and the Reds hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over New York.

Saturday's matchup was the battle of the lefties with Cincinnati's Andrew Abbott starting on the mound, while the Brewers' Richard Gasser started for them.

Both Cincinnati and Milwaukee went back-to-back on scoreless innings until the third.

Sal Stewart got Cincinnati on the board first after he hit a single out to center field, allowing Noelvi Marte to run it in from third.

The Brewers then swapped out Gasser for reliever Jacob Misiorowski at the top of the third inning. Cincinnati's Ke'Bryan Hayes hit a swinging bunt off Misiorowski to get Miguel Andujar to home to extend Cincinnati's lead.

With the bases loaded, Misiorowski hit Matt McLain, walking in Stewart to give the Reds a 3-0 lead.

On an explosive play, TJ Friedl then gave the Reds a 6-0 lead after he singled to left field, allowing both Hayes and Tyler Stephenson to score. McLain then made it home after a throwing error by Milwaukee left fielder Isaac Collins.

The Brewers got on the board in the bottom of the third with an RBI groundout from Christian Yelich.

The Brewers got another run on an RBI double from Brice Turang. Spencer Steer ran to the back of the outfield to attempt to catch the hit, but the ball bounced off his glove.

Cincinnati and Milwaukee once again swapped a few scoreless innings. The Brewers also swapped Misiorowski for right-hander Grant Anderson in the sixth inning.

Stewart then hit Cincinnati's first home run of the day off Anderson, with a 387-footer toward right field.

The Brewers then matched Stewart's home run with their own solo homer from outfielder Jackson Chourio.

At the bottom of the sixth inning, Abbott was replaced by right-hander Connor Phillips. First baseman Jake Bauers hit an RBI single off a pitch from Phillips to get the Brewers within three of the Reds. Phillips was then replaced by Graham Ashcraft.

After Ashcraft loaded the bases, Cincinnati escaped the sixth inning with a groundout to first by shortstop Joey Ortiz.

In the top of the seventh, Milwaukee then replaced Anderson with lefty Rob Zastryzny, who got the Brewers out of the inning quickly. The Reds then began the bottom of the inning with Nick Martinez on the mound.

The Brewers' right-hander Carlos Rodriguez quickly got Milwaukee out of the eighth inning, before Martinez retired three to bring it to the ninth.

Elly De La Cruz and Stephenson both struck out swinging in the ninth, while Hayes was walked. McLain was able to get an infield single off Rodriguez before Friedl was struck out swinging, as well.

Emilio Pagan took the mound as Cincinnati's closer, retiring all three batters. Sal Frelick struck out swinging before Yelich popped out to De La Cruz and Jackson Chourio grounded out to Elly, as well.

The Reds and Brewers face off in their final game of the regular season Sunday. First pitch is at 3:10 p.m.