MILWAUKEE (AP) — Brandon Woodruff struck out 12 to tie his career high, Willy Adames hit a three-run homer and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Cincinnati Reds 6-3 on Tuesday night.
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The NL Central-leading Brewers have won six of their last seven games. The 12 Ks from Woodruff (3-1) came over 5 2/3 innings, in which he gave up all three runs and no walks. The 2021 All-Star had struck out 15 batters over 10 innings in his previous two starts.
“I’ve been working extremely hard on getting back to just kind of myself and making some tweaks and I think tonight it showed up,” Woodruff said. “I know there were strikeouts but, in terms of the way I felt moving down the mound, I felt a lot better tonight.”
It was the first time in franchise history that Brewers starters struck out 10 or more batters in three consecutive games. Corbin Burnes struck out 10 batters Sunday and Eric Lauer struck out 11 on Saturday.
“It’s boring, they strike out everybody,” Adames said. “I only had one groundball today and it was the last out. It’s always good to see the show that they always put on. It’s amazing to see how they execute everything.”
Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said “it feels like whoever is up the next day is as good as the guy the day before him.”
Brewers pitchers entered Tuesday with the second-most strikeouts (234) in the majors, behind the Mets.
The Reds have lost seven in a row and have the worst record in the majors at 3-20. The loss tied the Reds’ longest consecutive road-loss streak of 11 games set in 1945.
Cincinnati was without first baseman Joey Votto, who showed symptoms of COVID-19 but hadn’t yet tested positive. The team still put him in the injured list.
Milwaukee took a 3-0 lead in the third inning off starter Tyler Mahle (1-4). One batter reached base on an error and another on a walk before Adames hit his 419-foot home run. It was Adames’ sixth homer.
“Didn’t throw him one fastball,” Mahle said of Adames. “Threw him two sliders, which is my third pitch right now. It was just dumb, sloppy pitching.”
Mahle entered the game with a 6.45 ERA, and lasted only 3 1/3 innings, giving up four earned runs.
“We were good with our ball-strike with him and that forced him into a ton of three-ball counts,” Counsell said.
Rowdy Tellez hit a solo homer off Phillip Diehl to extend Milwaukee’s lead to 6-3 in the eighth.
Woodruff gave up back-to-back home runs in the fourth to Tommy Pham and Mike Moustakas. Moustakas’ traveled 429 feet. Aaron Ashby pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings and Devin Williams earned his second save.
“The Brewers, they threw some really good stuff at us, really from the first inning through the ninth inning,” Reds manager David Bell said.
A CRYPTIC TWEET
Votto stirred questions about his future Monday night by tweeting a Fangraphs post with the headline, “Is this the end for Joey Votto?” and adding “Five months to go. Enjoy the show.” The six-time All-Star is hitting just .122 with no home runs and three RBIs in 22 games. He has struck out 29 times in 74 at-bats. He was was not available for an interview Tuesday.
PRODUCTIVE RETURN
Milwaukee IF Luis Urías (left quad) made his 2022 debut, starting at third base. “Wicho” reached base on all three trips to the plate.
He led off the third by reaching first base when shortstop Kyle Farmer misplayed his groundball, and scored Milwaukee’s first run on Adames’ homer. In the fourth, Urías hit an RBI single, chasing Mahle. He walked to lead off the seventh, but was thrown out trying to steal second.
Urías led the Brewers last season in runs, hits and extra-base hits, and was second in home runs.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Reds: Activated C Tyler Stephenson (concussion), recalled IF/OF Alejo Lopez and optioned C Mark Kolozsvary to Triple-A Louisville.
Brewers: LHP Josh Hader has had some mid-back spasms but should be available Wednesday or Thursday, Counsell said. Designated RHP José Ureña for assignment.
UP NEXT
Reds RHP Vladimir Gutiérrez (0-4, 7.41 ERA) takes on Brewers RHP Freddy Peralta (0-1, 5.00 ERA) on Wednesday in the second game of the three-game series. Gutiérrez gave up six runs and walked six in four innings in his last start, at home against the Padres. Peralta went six innings in his last start, at Pittsburgh, giving up no runs and three hits and striking out seven.
TOP PHOTO: Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Brandon Woodruff throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds Tuesday, May 3, 2022, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
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