Yelich homers as Brewers beat Reds 9-4

<p>CINCINNATI &mdash; Christian Yelich hit his first homer of the season and Kolten Wong had three hits, helping the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Cincinnati Reds 9-4 on Sunday.</p>
<p>Yelich, who has been hampered by back trouble for much of the season, hit a solo drive in the ninth against Brad Brach. The 2018 NL MVP finished with two hits and two RBIs.</p>
<p>Wong, who returned to the lineup after he was hit on the right elbow by a pitch in the seventh inning on Friday, hit a two-run triple in the sixth. He grounded to second in the eighth, falling a home run shy of the Brewers’ first cycle since Yelich in 2018, also against the Reds.</p>
<p>Jesse Winker hit a solo homer in the third for Cincinnati, and Nick Castellanos connected for a two-run shot in the ninth.</p>
<p>Winker became the first Reds batter with five homers in a three-game series since Willie Greene from Sept. 24-26, 1996, against the Cubs. Winker went deep three times on Friday, but the Brewers won the last two in the weekend set. </p>
<p>The Reds were hoping for a return to form for Luis Castillo, who was coming off an 11-strikeout outing on Tuesday. But he struggled during a 32-pitch first inning, allowing three hits and two walks, including one with the bases loaded. Willy Adames’ two-run single put the Brewers ahead 3-0.</p>
<p>Omar Narváez’s seventh homer, a two-run shot in the third, extended Milwaukee’s lead to five. It was the eighth home run allowed this season by Castillo (1-7), who has a 7.61 ERA. </p>
<p>Brewers starter Freddy Peralta allowed two runs and three hits in 4 2/3 innings. Brad Boxberger (1-1) got the win. </p>
<p>TRAINERS ROOM</p>
<p>Reds: 1B Joey Votto, who has been on the IL since May 7 with a fractured left thumb, had a follow-up X-ray which showed sufficient healing. Votto could join the team on its next road trip to continue treatment and baseball activity. </p>
<p>UP NEXT</p>
<p>The Reds begin a six-game road trip in Washington on Tuesday, with Tyler Mahle starting the opener. He owns a 12.15 ERA in his career against the Nationals in two starts. </p>
<p>The Brewers return home for a four-game series with the Padres. Brandon Woodruff starts the opener. He beat the Padres on April 19, allowing a run over six innings. </p>