Espinal gets game-ending hit as the Reds beat the Brewers 4-3 in 11 innings

Updated Sep. 1, 2024 4:46 p.m. ET

Associated Press

CINCINNATI (AP) — Santiago Espinal drove in Rece Hinds with an infield single in the 11th inning, and the Cincinnati Reds stopped Milwaukee’s five-game win streak with a 4-3 victory over the Brewers on Sunday.

Hinds began the inning on second as the designated runner. He advanced on Will Benson’s groundout, and Reds manager David Bell sent Espinal up to hit for Noelvi Marte.

“In that situation, it has nothing to do with Noelvi not hitting," Bell said. “Espy and his skill set in that spot is exactly what you need. He puts the ball in play. It started with a great job by Will Benson. He had a chance to drive him (or) at the very least get him over.”

Espinal hit a grounder back up the middle that went off reliever Bryse Wilson (5-4), and Hinds scored without a throw. Wilson pitched 3 2/3 innings in his longest outing since July 24.

“The outcome sucks,” Wilson said. “I was happy with everything I did. Just move on, have a game tomorrow.”

Milwaukee went 0 for 21 in the final six innings with only four baserunners, two of them designated runners in the 10th and 11th.

“Can’t really shut it down like that,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “There were a couple really hard contacts in there. It was hard to watch those 21 at-bats. It’s disappointing in so many ways. Just need to concentrate on what we could have done better today.”

Cincinnati had lost eight of 10. Alexis Díaz (2-5) got three outs for the win after he was tagged for seven runs, six earned, and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings over his last six appearances.

In the top of the 10th, designated runner Andruw Monasterio was thrown out by Jonathan India when he tried to score from third on Brice Turang’s groundball.

Willy Adames hit his 28th homer for the NL Central-leading Brewers, and Joey Ortiz had two hits and scored two runs. Tobias Myers permitted three runs, two earned, and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings.

“Tobias pitched his guts out,” Murphy said. “He’d given up six hard contacts in two innings, made an error, balked. He did about everything you can do to get taken out of a game except he buckled down and gave us a chance to win.”

Adames began the fourth inning with a drive to center against Brandon Williamson, tying it at 2. The shortstop homered in every game in the four-game series at Cincinnati.

Williamson was charged with two runs and four hits in 3 1/3 innings. It was his first major league start for the left-hander since he hurt his shoulder in spring training.

Jake Fraley, who returned to the lineup after missing 10 games with a right knee sprain, homered on Myers’ first pitch in the second to give the Reds an early lead.

Ortiz doubled and scored on Turang’s single in the fifth, lifting Milwaukee to a 3-2 lead.

Turang stole his 40th base in the fifth, becoming the ninth player in Brewers franchise history to reach that mark.

India singled and scored on TJ Friedl’s sacrifice fly in the fifth, tying it at 3.

“We always play them like this, a lot of one-run games,” India said. “It was good to finally get one. We have to figure them out for next year."

MAKING MOVES

The Brewers recalled LHP DL Hall and OF Brewer Hicklen from Triple-A Nashville.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Reds: LHP Brent Suter was activated from the 15-day injured list. He pitched three scoreless innings.

UP NEXT

Brewers: Return home to face St. Louis on Monday. RHP Freddy Peralta (9-7, 3.70 ERA), who takes the mound for the series opener, has a 1.59 ERA in three starts this season against St. Louis.

Reds: Have not yet named a starter for Monday’s series opener against the Astros.

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