Alliance... » Scooter Gennett burned his former team in a big way

Tuesday night.Gennett hit a tiebreaking solo homer with two out in the ninth http://www.oriolesfanproshop.com/authentic-j.j.-hardy-jersey , helping the Cincinnati Reds beat Milwaukee 9-7 and prevent the Brewers from gaining ground in the National League playoff race.The 28-year-old Gennett played for Milwaukee for four seasons before he was claimed by Cincinnati off waivers prior to last season. The second baseman set career highs with 27 homers and 97 RBIs for his hometown Reds last year, and then made the All-Star team this season.Gennett drove a first-pitch slider from left-hander Dan Jennings (4-5) into the first row of the right-field bleachers for his 19th homer.“To run around the bases and look at everybody I’ve played with for a while, it’s a little better,” Gennett said. “I can’t hit lefties, right?“It’s a situation I look forward to now, when they bring in a lefty just to face me. Before I was always looking over my shoulder, seeing if they were going to take me out.”Cincinnati added an insurance run on Mason Williams‘ RBI double against Corey Knebel.Milwaukee had tied the game in the eighth on Jonathan Schoop’s first career pinch-hit homer and Ryan Braun’s RBI double. The Brewers remained three games back of the NL Central-leading Chicago Cubs, who lost 2-1 at Detroit.Raisel Iglesias (2-1), who yielded Braun’s tying double, escaped a jam in the ninth for the win. The Brewers put two runners on with two out, but Keon Broxton struck out swinging.Gennett finished with two hits and three RBIs as last-place Cincinnati won for the fourth time in five games. Billy Hamilton had two hits and scored two runs.The Reds rallied after the Brewers jumped on Sal Romano for four runs in the first inning. Erik Kratz had a two-out RBI single, and Orlando Arcia followed with a two-run single.Cincinnati responded with three in the third, helped by an error on right fielder Eric Thames. Romano’s bloop single drove in Dilson Herrera http://www.oriolesfanproshop.com/authentic-j.j.-hardy-jersey , and Romano scored after Thames bobbled Phillip Ervin’s hit. Gennett added a sacrifice fly against Junior Guerra.Travis Shaw hit his 26th homer in the bottom half, but Cincinnati added four more in the fourth.The big inning included a ball that hit second base umpire Hunter Wendelstedt and went for an RBI single for Ervin. Gennett’s dribbler past the mound scored a run and a passed ball allowed another run to score.“We had two or three breaks there,” Reds manager Jim Riggleman said.All four runs were unearned after third baseman Mike Moustakas’ throwing error resulted in the first run of the inning. Moustakas fielded a grounder by Brandon Dixon and had time to cut down Williams at the plate but bounced his throw in the dirt.“That was one of the stranger innings you’ll ever see,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “If the ball doesn’t hit the umpire it’s a one-run inning. They get three runs after a ground ball hit right at one of our players. And then the ball didn’t leave the infield.”TRAINERS ROOMReds: OF Scott Schebler (right shoulder) was scheduled to continue his rehab with Double-A Pensacola. He could join the Reds in Chicago for the opener of their four-game series against the Cubs on Thursday.Brewers: RHP Zach Davies (right shoulder) will make a rehab start for Double-A Biloxi on Wednesday and a decision on his status will be made soon. He has been on the disabled list since June 1. General manager David Stearns said it was fair to consider Davies “a wild card” at this point in the season. … RHP Joakim Soria threw 25 pitches off the mound and could return by the weekend, according to manager Craig Counsell.UP NEXTReds: RHP Robert Stephenson (0-1, 6.75 ERA) will make his third start of the season in the series finale against Milwaukee. He went 6-0 with a 1.23 ERA in his last seven starts at Triple-A Louisville.Brewers: Freddy Peralta (5-4, 4.48 ERA) made a quality start at St. Louis on Friday but the Brewers lost 5-2. CHICAGO (AP) — With Pedro Strop sidelined by a hamstring injury, Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon gave the ball to Jorge De La Rosa for the ninth inning.And it worked.The 37-year-old De La Rosa got three outs for his first career save, helping the Cubs top the Cincinnati Reds 3-2 on Friday night.Ian Happ hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning as NL Central-leading Chicago stayed 1 1/2 games ahead of second-place Milwaukee, which posted a 7-4 victory over Pittsburgh. Ben Zobrist had three hits, and Dillon Maples (1-0) earned his first career win.De La Rosa surrendered a one-out double to Curt Casali and walked Billy Hamilton with two down before Scott Schebler flied out to center. It was the first save opportunity for Chicago since Strop strained his left hamstring trying to beat out a double-play grounder during Thursday’s 4-3 victory at Washington, shelving the key reliever for the rest of the regular season.Strop had been subbing for closer Brandon Morrow, who is on the disabled list with a right arm injury.After Cole Hamels allowed two runs over 6 2/3 innings Jonathan Schoop Jersey , Maples got the final out of the seventh, Jaime Garcia tossed a perfect eighth and De La Rosa closed it out in his 426th major league appearance.Maddon called it an “unlikely bullpen.”“The walk to Hamilton made it interesting, but (De La Rosa) had great composure,” he said. “First big league save, wow. Good for him.”Happ’s homer was just his second in 22 games. The 24-year-old switch hitter is batting .186 over the span.“It’s been a while since I’ve had one of those,” Happ said. “To get a hit in that situation coming off what we’ve had to do the last couple of weeks, to give us a chance to win a ballgame, it was great.”Cincinnati had won four of six, including two of three against the contending Los Angeles Dodgers. The last-place Reds wasted a terrific start by Matt Harvey, who struck out six in six scoreless innings.“It was just about getting ahead,” Harvey said. “The big thing was being able to mix different pitches for a strike and really throw it whenever I wanted to.“That was the first time in a long time that all four pitches were kind of doing exactly what I wanted to.”Cincinnati jumped in front on consecutive homers by Jose Peraza and Joey Votto in the fourth, but Chicago rallied after Harvey was replaced by David Hernandez (5-1).Victor Caratini led off the seventh with a single and David Bote reached on an error on third baseman Eugenio Suarez. After pinch-hitter Tommy La Stella hit into a forceout, Happ drove a 1-0 pitch into the bleachers in left-center.Hamels struck out seven to increase his career total to 2 http://www.oriolesfanproshop.com/authentic-j.j.-hardy-jersey ,396, matching Sandy Koufax for 48th on the all-time list. He is 4-0 in nine starts since he was acquired in a trade with Texas.CLOSER CONUNDRUMStrop had 11 saves in 13 opportunities since Morrow went on the DL in July. He is 6-1 with a 2.26 ERA over 59 2/3 innings in 60 appearances.Unless the Cubs can make a trade, Maddon said he envisions using a closer-by-committee approach, including veterans Steve Cishek, Justin Wilson and Jesse Chavez.TRAINER’S ROOMReds: RHP Lucas Sims is sidelined with a strain on his right side. “He’s got little something going on with his lat that he’s not available to pitch right now,” manager Jim Riggleman said.Cubs: Morrow (right biceps inflammation) is scheduled to throw a simulated game on Saturday. … Maddon said OF Jason Heyward (right hamstring tightness) might return next week.UP NEXTReds LHP Cody Reed (0-2, 5.08 ERA) faces Cubs ace Jon Lester (15-6, 3.57 ERA) on Saturday. Lester lost his last start on Monday to Milwaukee, exiting after 5 2/3 innings with lower back tightness.