While the Brewers’ offense didn’t exactly have a get-right game, it didn’t matter. Behind a dominant performance from Brandon Sproat and the pitching staff, Milwaukee held the Reds to just two hits in a 2-0 shutout victory, their third straight win.
Despite his struggles this season, Reds starter Nick Lodolo was dealing out of the gate, holding the Brewers hitless the first time through the lineup. Jackson Chourio broke up the no-hitter in the top of the fourth with a comebacker that got Lodolo on the pitching
hand. He was pretty shaken up, but ended up staying in the game after members of the Reds training staff came out to check on him.
After Chourio reached, Lodolo began to unravel, allowing another single to Brice Turang and walking Andrew Vaughn in between a William Contreras strikeout. Vaughn’s walk gave the Brewers bases loaded with only one out, but Jake Bauers struck out looking (after unsuccessfully challenging the on-field ruling of a strike) and Gary Sánchez lined out to center field to end the inning with the Brewers still scoreless.
Lodolo managed to get through the fourth, but didn’t look right. Shortly after reliever Julian Garcia came out for the top of the fifth, the Reds announced that Lodolo had been pulled due to a left wrist contusion.
Despite losing their starter, the Reds kept the Brewers off the board for another inning. Neither team scored until the top of the sixth, when Andrew Vaughn worked a two-out walk against Garcia. Left-hander Caleb Ferguson then entered to face Jake Bauers, who hit a high chopper down the first-base line and over the head of first baseman Sal Stewart. Vaughn came all the way around to score as Bauers raced into third with his first triple of the year.
While the Reds’ pitching held strong through six innings, the Brewers matched them inning for inning. Sproat delivered what was probably the best outing of his career so far, carrying a no-hitter into the sixth inning and racking up ten strikeouts without walking a single batter. The one hit he allowed, a single to Jose Trevino to start the bottom of the sixth, was immediately nullified by a great throw from Gary Sánchez.
Sproat has experienced some growing pains during his rookie year, but starts like Tuesday’s are a glimpse of why the Brewers remain so excited about his long-term potential.
The Brewers got another run in the top of the eighth off of Chase Petty after Turang and Contreras hit back-to-back one-out singles and Andrew Vaughn knocked in Turang with a sacrifice fly. Abner Uribe faced three batters in the bottom of the eighth and Trevor Megill faced three batters in the bottom of the ninth as the Brewers held on for the shutout.
Despite scoring just four runs in two games, the Brewers will look for the series sweep tomorrow in Cincinnati. Shane Drohan will go for Milwaukee opposite righty Rhett Lowder. First pitch is slated for 6:10 p.m.
