MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jose Iglesias homered and drove in four runs, Tanner Roark allowed one run — a homer by major league leader Christian Yelich — over six solid innings and the Cincinnati Reds beat the Milwaukee Brewers 7-1 on Thursday night for their fifth straight victory.
Iglesias followed a two-out triple by Yasiel Puig with his fifth homer to put the Reds up 5-1 in the fifth. He also singled in two runs in the first.
Roark (5-6), who had lost three consecutive starts and five of his last six, allowed three hits, struck out seven and hit three batters. Jared Hughes followed with two scoreless innings and Zach Duke finished.
Yelich, the reigning NL MVP, opened the fourth with his 28th homer, sending a 2-2 pitch from Roark 462 feet to right to extend his hitting streak to 17 games, matching his career high.
Nick Senzel hit his seventh homer for the Reds, a two-run shot off the left-field foul pole against Freddy Peralta, to make it 7-1 in the seventh.
Jimmy Nelson (0-2) continued to struggle in his comeback after missing all of least season following right shoulder surgery. Nelson allowed five runs and seven hits with four walks and a hit batter in five innings, the longest of his three starts since being called up June 5.
Nelson, 3-0 in five starts at Triple-A San Antonio, has allowed 13 earned runs and 16 hits in 12 innings with 10 walks in three outings with Milwaukee.
The Reds capitalized on Nelson’s early lack of command for three runs in the first. Cincinnati loaded the bases with one out when Joey Vatto walked, Eugenio Suarez singled, and Derek Dietrich was hit by a pitch. Senzel walked to force in a run. Iglesias’ two-out single up the middle made it 3-0.
Cincinnati loaded the bases in third on a pair of infield singles and an intentional walk, but Nelson escaped by striking out Roark to end the inning.
Milwaukee, coming off a 2-6 road trip, has lost four straight.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Reds: LHP Wandy Peralta (right hip flexor strain), who went on the 10-day IL on June 15, is “recovering rapidly,” but the Reds “don’t have an exact timetable for his return,” manager David Bell said.
Brewers: LHP Gio Gonzalez (left arm fatigue), who went on the IL on June 1, will throw a bullpen session Friday and will get a minor-league starting assignment before returning to the team, possibly before the All-Star break.
UP NEXT
Reds: RHP Sonny Gray (3-5, 3.77 ERA) is 3-1 with a 2.93 ERA in his last five starts. He picked up his first win of the season vs. Milwaukee on May 21, allowing five hits in six scoreless innings with nine strikeouts.
Brewers: RHP Chase Anderson (3-1, 4.05 ERA) has lasted six innings in just one of eight starts after opening the season with five relief appearances. He has allowed eight homers in 46 2/3 innings, after giving up a career-high 30 home runs last season.
