CINCINNATI -- It has been a difficult stretch for Brewers starting pitchers and that trend continued Sunday with Kyle Harrison having another abbreviated outing. In the midst of 16 straight games without an off-day, the Brewers and their bullpen are showing signs of wear.
Jake Bauers extended his single-season career high with his 24th home run, a two-run shot off Brady Singer, but the Brewers couldn’t keep pace with the hot-hitting Reds in a 12-8 loss at Great American Ball Park.
It was the Reds’ first series victory over the Brewers at home since May 9-11, 2022.
Since Aug. 31 when the road trip began with a 17-3 loss to the Cubs, Brewers starters have posted an 8.90 ERA, nearly two runs worse than the Reds, who have been second worst in MLB with a 6.91 ERA in the same stretch. Brewers starters averaged 4 1/3 innings on the 3-4 road trip with Logan Henderson the only one to get through five. Through it all, they still own the Majors' best record (88-56).
“It’s a daunting task if you keep getting short starts like that,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “At some point, we’ll come up for air. This team has been resilient all year long. I believe they’ll bounce back. Just when you count them out, you look up and go, ‘God, we’re doing pretty good’. I believe in it.”
Harrison was hoping to bounce back on Sunday after allowing nine runs, including four in the first, in the aforementioned loss at Wrigley Field.
But he had another rough first inning on Sunday, allowing a leadoff double to Dane Myers then Tyler Stephenson’s RBI single to put the Reds ahead, 1-0.
The Reds loaded the bases against Harrison in the second. Elly De La Cruz reached on a fielder's choice and Matt McLain scoring on David Hamilton's throwing error. Sal Stewart followed with a sacrifice fly to make the score 3-0. Eugenio Suárez walked to begin the third and he scored on Juan Brito’s double to extend Cincinnati’s lead to 4-0.
Bauers cut the Reds’ lead in half in the bottom of the fourth with his first homer since Aug. 22. The Brewers scored a third run on a throwing error.
Cincinnati scored runs in each of the first five innings. De La Cruz hit a two-run homer in the fourth off Harrison to extend the Reds lead to 6-3.
Harrison allowed six runs (four earned) on nine hits in 3 2/3 innings. He tied a season high with four walks.
“Physically, I’m feeling good,” Harrison said. “Results have obviously sucked. Felt like I got to my spot, [but I] got beat. Tough to pinpoint. Quality execution, that’s what it comes down to. I wasn’t able to do that.”
There continue to be concerns about a drop in Harrison’s velocity and even that the 25-year-old left-hander’s delivery could be tipping off his fastball. Murphy indicated on Sunday that a move to the bullpen could be imminent.
“Maybe he won't start," Murphy said. "Maybe he'll end up being in the middle of the game or something like that ... I think it’s probably back him off a little bit [or] if he starts a game, go shorter.
"Is there something in his delivery that kind of tips the hitter off that it’s a fastball? That might be. When you don’t get results it kind of plays on your mind. It’s a whole mental thing that we’re trying to correct.”
The Brewers took advantage of a pair of two-out walks from Brady Singer to tie the score at 6 in the fifth with Garrett Mitchell's RBI single and Brice Turang’s two-run double.
The Reds regained the lead on De La Cruz’s two-run double off Antonio Senzatela (10-5), who allowed three runs in two-thirds of an inning.
Milwaukee's pitchers issued 10 walks on Sunday and the team committed two errors. Perhaps, it's a sign they are collectively feeling the grind.
The Brewers begin a six-game homestand Monday against the Cubs with a couple of off-days coming in the next week. They haven’t had one since Aug. 24.
“We pride ourselves with great defense, and we’ve been doing that,” Murphy said. “If you want to be a great team, you have to have great defense. You know, when the pitching staff walks 10 and then we make three defensive miscues with runners on third, it changes the game.”