Peralta retires 15 straight for Brewers in shutout loss to Reds
CINCINNATI -- Wily Peralta made the pitches he wanted Monday against the Cincinnati Reds. He just wasn't rewarded.
The Reds found just enough holes to score three first-inning runs, and four pitchers teamed up on Cincinnati's eighth shutout of the season in a 3-0 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Reds sent eight batters to the plate in the first against Peralta (6-10). They collected a walk and four hits, including back-to-back infield hits to shortstop Jonathan Villar by Adam Duvall and Brandon Phillips that loaded the bases, setting up Scott Schebler's two-run single. Tyler Holt followed with an RBI single.
"It was a little frustrating," Peralta said. "I made the pitches I wanted to make. I got ground balls. They just found some holes. They didn't hit anything hard."
Manager Craig Counsell had no complaints about his veteran right-hander, who turned in 7 2/3 innings in his last start against the Cubs last Tuesday.
"Wily pitched very well tonight," Counsell said. "He continued what he's been doing. We didn't have much luck tonight."
Keyvius Sampson started and Blake Wood (6-3), Michael Lorenzen and Raisel Iglesias followed as the Reds posted their seventh shutout since the All-Star break. They went into the game tied with the Cubs, Angels and Marlins for the most second-half shutouts in the majors.
Iglesias pitched the final two innings for his third save in four opportunities as the Reds extended their winning streak to four games.
The Brewers, who had hit at least one home run in nine consecutive games, have lost three of their last four and have been shut out eight times this season.
Sampson, making his second start of the season as the Reds skipped Anthony DeSclafani, tied his career high with seven strikeouts. But he was relieved by Wood in the fifth with the bases loaded and two outs -- not long enough to qualify for the win. He allowed four hits and two walks and hit a batter.
Wood stifled the threat by getting Hernan Perez to fly out.
"Sampson threw a lot of strikes," Counsell said. "He seemed to struggle finding the zone when we've faced him in the past. We didn't get many good counts. His slider was effective. He threw it for strikes. We didn't get many leadoff batters on."
Peralta rebounded after Holt's single to retire the next 15 batters before Phillips' dribbler hugged the third base line for an infield single with two outs in the sixth inning. Peralta allowed six hits and three runs with one walk and five strikeouts in six innings.
TRICKY
Reds 2B Brandon Phillips tried to catch the Brewers and the umpires napping, catching and then "dropping" Peralta's soft liner with Martin Maldonado on first base and nobody out in the third inning. Second base umpire Roberto Ortiz immediately ruled the ball was caught and Maldonado still was safe at first.
HIGHLIGHT REEL
The Reds used two right fielders and both made eye-catching plays. Schebler made a diving catch of Perez's blooper to end the first, then Steve Selsky easily threw out Jonathan Villar trying to score from second Scooter Gennett's twoout single in the sixth.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Brewers: Rookie SS Orlando Arcia got Monday off after playing in 37 of Milwaukee's 39 games since making his major league debut on Aug. 2.
Reds: SS Jose Peraza returned to the starting lineup after missing Sunday's game in Pittsburgh with a sore right pinky finger, the result of fouling a ball off of it on Saturday.
UP NEXT
Brewers: RHP Matt Garza (5-6), who allowed just three hits and one run over six innings without getting a decision in Milwaukee's 2-1 victory over the Cubs last Wednesday, starts on Tuesday.
Reds: RHP Dan Straily (11-8), who set his single-season career high for losses in his last start, tries to improve to 8-2 since the All-Star break on Tuesday.
