RYAN BRAUN STARTED MILWAUKEE'S SIX-HOMER BARRAGE, HITTING THE FIRST OF THREE OFF HOMER BAILEY, AND THE BREWERS BEAT THE CINCINNATI REDS 11-3 ON THURSDAY NIGHT, SALVAGING THE FINAL GAME OF THEIR SERIES.
THE NL CENTRAL LEADERS HIT SIX HOMERS FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2007, WHEN THEY ALSO DID IT IN CINCINNATI. JONATHAN VILLAR CONNECTED TWICE AS MILWAUKEE MATCHED ITS SEASON HIGH FOR RUNS. JESUS AGUILAR HAD A THREE-RUN HOMER AMONG HIS THREE HITS.
LAST-PLACE CINCINNATI HAS LOST 15 OF ITS LAST 19 GAMES OVERALL.
JIMMY NELSON (6-4) GAVE UP THREE HITS IN SEVEN INNINGS, INCLUDING JOEY VOTTO'S 22ND AND 23RD HOMERS, AND MATCHED HIS SEASON HIGH WITH 11 STRIKEOUTS. THE TEAMS COMBINED FOR 19 HOMERS DURING THE THREE-GAME SERIES.
BRAUN RETURNED AT THE START OF THE SERIES AFTER MISSING A MONTH WITH A STRAINED LEFT CALF. HE HOMERED TWICE IN THE SERIES, INCLUDING HIS SOLO SHOT IN THE FIRST OFF BAILEY (0-2), WHO HAS BEEN HIT HARD IN BOTH OF HIS STARTS SINCE RETURNING FROM ELBOW SURGERY.