MILWAUKEE -- The Brewers needed a big hit with a runner in scoring position, and one of their unlikeliest heroes delivered.
Joey Ortiz, the defensive wizard who has slumped so badly at the plate for parts of the past three seasons that he lost hold of starting shortstop duties earlier this month, hit a two-out, two-run home run in the eighth inning on Monday to beat the Reds, 5-3, at American Family Field and provide an example of what can happen when you keep your head down and do the work.
Ortiz stepped to the plate against just-summoned Reds reliever Tejay Antone with a .196 batting average after an 0-for-3 start to his night that included two empty at-bats with runners in scoring position. That has been a big problem of late for the Brewers, who were 1-for-8 in the game, 6-for-36 on the homestand and 7-for-65 with runners in scoring position over parts of the past eight games since their eight-run second inning in Atlanta on June 21 as Ortiz dug into the batter’s box.
Jake Bauers had already delivered one clutch hit with a run-scoring single in the sixth inning, when Christian Yelich followed by scoring on a wild pitch to cut a 3-0 Reds lead to 3-3 going into the bottom of the eighth. Sal Frelick knocked a one-out single and David Hamilton bunted him over to give Ortiz one more shot.
When Ortiz came through with the go-ahead homer, it made a winner of Brewers reliever Aaron Ashby, who is 11-1 and remains the Major League leader in wins, even though they all have come in relief.