Gennett hit a tiebreaking solo homer with two out in the ninth, 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, 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 ROOM
Reds: 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 NEXT
Reds: 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.
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