Eugenio Suarez opened the ninth inning with a tiebreaking homer off Josh Hader as the visiting Cincinnati Reds survived blowing a late lead and edged the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 Saturday night in a game that featured three ejections.
Suarez gave the Reds a 4-3 lead when he opened the ninth by hammering a 2-0 96 mph fastball from Hader (3-1) well over the right-center field fence. It was the third baseman’s 18th homer and first against Milwaukee this season.
Suarez’s homer occurred shortly after Tyrone Taylor hit a two-run tying homer in the eighth off Brad Brach. Josh Osich (2-0) fanned Jace Peterson with two on to end the eighth and Heath Hembree pitched a scoreless ninth to convert his sixth save in seven chances.
Taylor entered as a replacement for Christian Yelich after the star left fielder was ejected by first base umpire John Libka in the sixth. Yelich was tossed after reaching on a bunt single and arguing when he took a step toward second.
The Brewers faced a 3-1 deficit entering the eighth when Taylor hit a full-count 94 mph fastball from Brach over the left-center field fence.
Before blowing the two-run lead, Nick Castellanos hit a three-run homer with nobody out in the sixth off Milwaukee All-Star starter Freddy Peralta, who pitched five hitless innings.
Castellanos’ homer knocked out Peralta and Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell was ejected by plate umpire Gabe Morales during a pitching change. Counsell was angered that the 2-2 pitch before Castellanos’ 18th homer was called a ball.
Peralta lost his no-hit bid when he allowed an infield single to Jesse Winker to the vacated left side after hitting rookie Jonathan India to start the inning. Castellanos then hit a towering homer to left field when he slugged a full-count slider.
Peralta allowed three runs and two hits in five-plus innings a night after being named to the All-Star team as a replacement for teammate Brandon Woodruff. He struck out six, walked two and threw 92 pitches.
Avisail Garcia hit an RBI single in the first inning for Milwaukee, which is 2-5 in its past seven games following an 11-game winning streak.
The Reds also were frustrated with the umpires. Votto was tossed by third base umpire Doug Eddings after striking out on a check swing for the second out of the eighth.
Reds starter Vladimar Gutierrez allowed one run on five hits in six innings.
–Field Level Media