A three-run home run off the bat of Eugenio Suárez in the top of the sixth inning led the way for the Cincinnati Reds to salvage the final game of the three-game series. The Brewers’ 4-3 loss snaps their five-game winning streak and avoids any chance of clinching the division title on an off-day.
Robert Gasser toed the mound for the 19th time this season and delivered one of his better performances that the Brewers have seen this season. He threw five innings of one-run ball, allowing three hits and two walks. Looking to avoid early trouble, Gasser found himself with two runners on base with just one out; that was until he forced back-to-back flyouts to end the top of the second inning.
After scoring 33 runs in the first two games of the series, the Brewers offense came back down to Earth this afternoon only scoring three-runs, all off of home runs. Entering play this afternoon, the Crew had hit seven home runs as a team during the series against the Reds. Joey Ortiz made it eight in the series with his two-run home run in the bottom of the second inning to give the Brewers an early 2-0 lead.
Shortly thereafter, Reds ace Chase Burns left the game after 56 pitches in three innings. That’s the second straight appearance for Burns in which he hasn’t appeared into the fourth inning. In fact, three out of his last four starts have resulted in an early departure from the game for Burns, having not pitched into the fifth inning since August 30.
Gasser gave up his second hit of the game on a ground-rule double to Tyler Stephenson in the top of the fourth inning; from that point on, no one else would reach base. He finished the afternoon with three 1-2-3 innings, a significant improvement from what we’ve seen from him on the mound. This won’t be the last time we see Gasser this regular season, as if the schedule remains the same, he should expect one to two more starts.
In the top of the sixth inning, Gasser went back out to the mound and gave up a lead-off single to Elly De La Cruz. Antonio Senzatela replaced Gasser on the mound, tasked with getting through the heart of the Reds lineup. After instantly allowing a single up the middle, Suárez attacked with his 24th home run of the season to give the Reds their first lead of the game. After the nightmare sixth inning for Senzatela, his ERA with the Brewers now inflates to 6.48 in 16.2 innings.
Needing an offensive spark after being held at bay for four straight innings, Jake Bauers woke up the bats with a lead-off solo home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to bring the game back to even. His home run total on the season improves to 26, continuing to lead the Brewers in long ball.
Bullpen issues continued to haunt the Brewers for the second time in the game, as reliable setup man Abner Uribe allowed back-to-back singles to lead off the top of the eighth inning. After getting Suárez to pop out, Stephenson hit a sacrifice fly to right field to drive in the go-ahead and ultimately winning run of the game.
The Brewers had a great start in the bottom of the eighth inning with a lead-off single from Cooper Pratt followed by a bunt for a single hit from Sal Frelick. With it looking like it was turning into another classic Brewers inning, Jackson Chourio grounded into the team’s third double-play of the day to kill any momentum swinging their way.
Outside of the Brice Turang lead-off single in the bottom of the ninth inning, there was no real threat for the Brewers to come back against the Reds as Gary Sánchez was called out on strikes before Bauers lined out. Christian Yelich flew out in foul territory to lock in the win for the Reds.
Today marked the final time these two teams will face each other, and the Brewers won the season series 9-4. The Crew will go on one of their longer road trips of the season as they go on the East Coast tour, beginning in Pittsburgh on Tuesday for a three-game series.
After today, the Brewers didn’t make up any ground on their own in their other magic number races, but did so with the help of the Pirates. With the Cubs’ loss, their number to clinch the division is now down to two games. On top of that, their number to clinch a first-round bye is down to eight.
The Brewers will head to Pittsburgh for the final time in 2026 for a three-game series, which will begin on Tuesday at 5:40 p.m.
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