Brewers win 9-5 to hand Reds their 11th straight loss

MILWAUKEE (AP) Steady veteran Aaron Hill sticks with the same approach at the plate for the Milwaukee Brewers, regardless of the opponent, or whether he's on streaking or slumping.

The Cincinnati Reds, meanwhile, keep finding ways to lose.

Hill hit two solo homers, Jonathan Lucroy added a solo shot and drove in three runs, and the Brewers outslugged Cincinnati for a 9-5 victory Friday night, the Reds' 11th straight loss.

''It's not anything about who you're playing. It's sticking with the process of your work ethic and trying to stay as consistent as you can with your work ethic,'' Hill, a 12-year veteran, said.

The Brewers kept consistent pressure on starter John Lamb (0-3) after an early three-run deficit. They chipped away at the lead before surging ahead with a four-run fourth.

Hill homered to left to lead off the inning, and Lucroy capped the scoring with an RBI ground-rule double.

Hill's second homer came in the fifth off reliever Dayan Diaz for a three-run lead. Five of Hill's six homers this season have come against the Reds, including a three-homer game on May 7, in Cincinnati.

''Well, we keep throwing those pitches that he mauls on the inner-half of the plate that he can pull with power,'' Reds manager Bryan Price said.

After sweeping last-place Atlanta, the Brewers won their fourth straight game by beating the NL Central's worst team.

Hill and Jonathan Villar both had three hits, two runs and two RBIs to support starter Zach Davies (2-3).

Davies allowed six hits and five runs over 5 2/3 innings. Three runs that scored off Adam Duvall's first-inning homer were unearned after a postgame scoring change took away a two-out double from the previous hitter, Jay Bruce, and gave outfielder Ramon Flores an error.

The right-hander retired 10 straight after Duvall's homer. Davies gave up a solo shot to Joey Votto in the sixth.

''We kept adding and (Davies) kept putting up zeros,'' manager Craig Counsell said. ''I thought if he could get us five for sure, I thought we'd get the runs back.''

Milwaukee's shutdown bullpen finished the game by retiring 10 straight hitters.

It was another night to forget on the mound for the Reds, who had a 6.85 ERA in the 10 losses before their latest defeat. Lamb was shelled for six runs and seven hits in 3 2/3 innings in losing his third straight start.

Brewers hitters waited for Lamb's off-speed pitches, while the left-hander allowed three run-scoring hits on two-strike counts in the fourth.

LOST REDS

Lamb is hoping the team can start catching some breaks to break out of their long skid.

''Beyond that, continue to trust our abilities, go out there and play the game. Personally speaking, I'm hopeful for a good day at the office. Just day-by-day, doing what we can do,'' he said.

For Bruce, the answer to the Reds' problems sounds simple.

''`Try Hard' doesn't always get the job done. Getting the job done gets the job done. We're not doing that,'' Bruce said.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Reds: RHP Anthony DeSclafani (left oblique) is scheduled to make his next rehab start at Triple-A Louisville on Monday. ... RHP Raisel Iglesias (right shoulder), on the DL since May 1, was scheduled to throw a side session on Friday at the Reds' spring training complex in Arizona.

Brewers: LHP Will Smith (right knee) was moving to Double-A Biloxi for his rehab assignment, where he will throw consecutive days starting Sunday. Counsell said the reliever could be activated from the DL during a four-game series next week at Philadelphia, if not sooner.

UP NEXT

Reds: RHP Alfredo Simon (1-5) has allowed 15 earned runs in 9 1/3 innings over his last two starts, both losses.

Brewers: RHP Chase Anderson (2-6) is 2-1 with a 2.45 ERA in four career starts against the Reds.