MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Eric Thames homered twice to raise his major league-leading total to 10, Hernan Perez added a three-run shot, Matt Garza pitched for the first time this season and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Cincinnati Reds 11-7 on Monday night.
The left-handed batting Thames got just enough muscle on an 0-2 pitch from Amir Garrett (2-2) to slice an opposite-field, two-run homer in the second. He extended his home-run streak against the Reds this season to five consecutive games with a solo shot to right in the first. Perez's three-run homer capped that inning.
Seven of Thames' 10 major-league leading home runs have come off the Reds' hurlers, including five in the four-game series in mid-April at Cincinnati.
Garza, who suffered a right groin strain at the end of spring training, was activated from the disabled list before the game. He threw 93 pitches - 57 for strikes - and was pulled after four innings. He allowed one earned run on four hits, walked three, struck out four and handed a 10-4 lead over to the bullpen.
Five relievers followed and Carlos Torres (1-2) picked up the win.
Garza singled in a run in the third after Perez's RBI double. Jesus Aguilar grounded out with the bases load in the eighth for the final run.
The Brewers chased Garrett in the fourth on Ryan Braun's run-scoring double and Manny Piña's RBI single. The rookie left-hander allowed nine earned runs and eight hits in 3 1/3 innings. He walked four and struck out one.
Scott Schebler hit a two-out, three-run homer off Garza in the third. His fifth home run of the season followed shortstop Orlando Arcia's fielding error on a routine groundball. Schebler doubled in a run in the ninth. Stuart Turner doubled in a run in the second and sixth. Jose Peraza added a two-out RBI single off Corey Knebel in the eighth.
TRAINER'S ROOM:
Reds: RHP Rookie Davis (bruised right forearm) is scheduled to come off the 10-day disabled list and start Wednesday in place of RHP Tim Adelman, who will be bumped to start Friday in the opener of the weekend series at St. Louis. LHP Cody Reed moves to the bullpen.
Brewers: LHP Brent Suter (0-0, 4.91 ERA) in five games was optioned to Triple-A in order to activate Garza.
UP NEXT:
Reds: RHP Scott Feldman (1-1, 2.38 ERA) makes his fifth start and second against the Brewers this season. He turned a 3-2 lead over to the bullpen on April 14, but Milwaukee scored four runs in the sixth off Blake Wood and Wandy Peralta and won 10-4.
Brewers: RHP Zach Davies (1-2, 8.24) makes his fifth start and second against the Reds this season. He is 2-1 with a 4.28 ERA in six career starts against them. He took a no-decision at Cincinnati on April 15.
