Eric Thames doesn’t give much thought to the way he wrecks the Reds Daniel Jones Jersey , leaving everyone else to marvel.
and the Milwaukee Brewers slowed the Cincinnati Reds‘ best surge of the season with a 6-4 victory .
Thames has been the Reds’ biggest nemesis. He hit a record 10 homers against Cincinnati last year – the most by a Brewer against one team in a single season. Thames gave the Brewers a 5-4 lead when he homered in the seventh inning off reliever Amir Garrett (0-1).
Thames’ third home this season against the Reds was the turning point in a game that started badly for the Brewers and included a benches-clearing incident in the third inning when Cincinnati’s Joey Votto exchanged words with catcher Erik Kratz.
”I’m not really thinking about, `It’s the Reds, yeah I’m going to get some hits,’ or whatever,” Thames said. ”In this park, the ball will travel a little bit, so that’s nice. For me, it doesn’t matter if it’s the Royals, the Yankees or the Reds, I try to have the same approach.”
Thames is 3 of 3 in his career against the left-handed Garrett with three homers.
”Me and him, we have a past history – three home runs,” Garrett said. ”He got me today. Sometimes, you get got. That’s how the game is.”
Jesus Aguilar hit a two-run homer off Anthony DeSclafani, connecting for the third straight game. Eric Sogard added a sacrifice fly in the ninth.
Milwaukee beat the Reds for the sixth straight time and improved to 6-1 overall against Cincinnati this season, including 4-0 at Great American Ball Park.
Junior Guerra (4-5) gave up Jose Peraza’s second career leadoff homer and Jesse Winker’s two-run shot while getting his first victory since May 14. Corey Knebel pitched the ninth for his eighth save in 10 chances.
The last-place Reds were the hottest team in the NL Central heading into the game, winning nine of their last 10 games.
Votto was in the middle of a dispute for the second straight game.
The third inning opened with Votto thinking he’d drawn a walk on a 3-1 pitch, but plate umpire Roberto Ortiz called it a strike. When Votto returned to the batter’s box Ed Oliver Jersey , he exchanged words with Kratz. Votto removed his batting helmet, and the benches and bullpens emptied.
Players milled briefly, many joking with one another. When play resumed, Votto flied out.
”It was just a little bit of a misunderstanding at the plate,” Votto said. ”It was just two guys having words. It was really nothing.”
Votto was ejected in Atlanta on Wednesday by plate umpire Carlos Torres for arguing a called third strike, his eighth career ejection.
MILWAUKEE MOVES
The Brewers called up LH reliever Mike Zagurski from Triple-A Colorado Springs and optioned RH Adrian Houser. Zagurski last pitched in the majors in 2013 with the Pirates. He played in the Japan Central League in 2015-16.
THAMES’ STATS
Thames homered off a left-hander for the first time since June 6 last year against San Diego’s Ryan Buchter. Thames missed 41 games earlier this season with a torn ligament in his left thumb. His three homers off Garrett are his highest total off any pitcher. He has six homers in 34 career at-bats in GABP.
”We’ve had no answer for him,” interim Reds manager Jim Riggleman said.
GOING DEEP
Aguilar has homered in three consecutive games for the second time this season – he also did it from May 18-20. He recorded his eighth three-hit game this season, a career high.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Brewers: CF Christian Yelich left the game with a tight lower back after he grounded out in the first inning. He felt his back tighten a couple steps toward first base. … Travis Shaw was back at third base after missing two games with a sore right wrist. He took batting practice pregame and felt good enough to play, although the wrist is likely to bother him at times. He went 0 for 4.
Reds: Top prospect Nick Senzel today had surgery on his broken right index finger. Senzel hurt his finger Friday with Triple-A Louisville. There’s no estimate for the infielder’s return.
UP NEXT
Brewers: Chase Anderson (5-6) beat the Reds 7-6 at Great American Ball Park on May 1, allowing four runs in 5 1/3 innings. He’s 2-1 with a 4.15 ERA in six career starts at Great American.
Reds: Sal Romano (4-7) has lost all of his four career starts against the Brewers, giving up 13 runs in 18 2/3 innings.
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In his latest peak performance, Luis Severino took matters into his own hands – and glove.
Severino jumped to steal away a popup from catcher Gary Sanchez while pitching eight sharp innings, leading the New York Yankees over the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 Saturday.
”He didn’t say, `I got it’ and I was there,” Severino quipped. ”So you know I went for the ball. . He said, `You took it from my glove.”’
Giancarlo Stanton and Sanchez hit back-to-back home runs as New York won for the 13th time in 16 games. It was the Rays’ 18th loss in 22 games at Yankee Stadium.
Severino (10-2) simply overwhelmed a weak-hitting Rays lineup that has produced just one run over its last 21 innings. The 24-year-old righty gave up three hits, struck out nine and walked two, tying Cleveland’s Corey Kluber for the AL win lead.
In the fifth, Carlos Gomez led off with a popup high above the plate. As Sanchez looked into the sun trying to find the ball, Severino sprung off the mound. They were next to each other, slightly in foul ground, when Severino leaped to catch the ball, right above Sanchez’s mitt.
Took it right away from his best friend on the team, in fact.
”I tried to block it a little bit more with the glove. I found the ball, I was in a good spot and I had it right there,” Sanchez said. ”And I was surprised when I heard the steps. I think it was an instinct of his. He tried to assure his out.”
Sanchez gave Severino a look, perhaps wondering why the pitcher came into the picture, before they went back to work.
Said Aaron Judge: ”He’s an athlete out there. I think he is trying to win a Gold Glove.”
The play on Gomez came during a stretch of 11 straight batters Severino retired before Joey Wendle singled with two outs in the seventh. Severino then threw a 99 mph fastball past Gomez to strike him out.
Severino was perfect in the eighth, and Chasen Shreve relieved to begin the ninth.
Matt Duffy hit a leadoff homer against Shreve and homered for just the fourth time this year, cutting the lead 4-1, and Jake Bauers followed with a triple that bounced out of center fielder Aaron Hicks‘ glove.
Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman then set down the next three batters for his 20th save in 21 chances.
The Rays have lost 12 of their last 16 games and have one more game in the Bronx on Sunday before continuing their seven-game road trip Monday with three games at defending champion Houston.
”No matter what stage, rebuild or expected to win or whatever, losing always tends to be something that is not fun,” Duffy said. ”We have some adjustments to make.”
New York has won Severino’s last 12 starts going back to Sept. 3. During that span, he is 9-0 with an 1.75 ERA.
Aaron Boone has gotten accustomed to it since taking over as the Yankees manager.
”Obviously Devin Singletary Jersey , any time he goes I feel great about it,” Boone said. ”He’s a great pitcher. He’s establishing himself as one of the best in the game and he gave us a lot today.”
New York didn’t fare too well against Ryne Stanek, who allowed a hit and struck out one over 1 1/3 scoreless inning on Tampa Bay’s designated ”bullpen day.”
Ryan Yarbrough (5-3) gave up a run in the second on rookie Gleyber Torres‘ two-out double. Didi Gregorius hit an RBI single in the third.
Stanton connected in the fifth for his 16th home run. Four pitches later, Sanchez hit his 13th homer over the center field fence – that snapped a homerless streak of 66 at-bats dating to May 19.
ROSTER MOVES
Prior to the game, the Yankees acquired 2B Wendell Rijo to complete the May 25 trade that sent C Erik Kratz to Milwaukee. The 22-year-old will report to Single-A Tampa. Rijo was hitting .200 with four homers and 14 RBI in 32 games for Double-A Biloxi in the Southern League.
MO-MENTUM
Yankees prospect Jonathan Loaisiga felt honored by the glowing remarks Rays manager Kevin Cash made after the 23-year-old debuted Friday night with a win, throwing five scoreless innings while striking out six while walking four.
Cash compared the Nicaraguan rookie to Mariano Rivera, baseball’s all-time saves leader, but joked he was hopeful that Loaisiga wouldn’t develop the same devastating cutter that the former Yankees closer owned.
”I think that comment is something very flattering because to mention Mariano, you’re talking about a superstar and someone who was historic,” said Loaisiga, adding that he had never met the future Hall of Famer from Panama. ”I think that it’s something that almost too good.”
UP NEXT
Yankees veteran lefty CC Sabathia (4-1, 3.27 ERA) will try to win his third straight start Sunday. For the second consecutive game, Tampa Bay ”start” a reliever, this time Wilmer Font (0-1, 6.87 ERA).