Reds hit 7 HRs, extend Brewers' fade with 11-2 win

[September 20, 2008]  CINCINNATI (AP) -- Joey Votto and Jay Bruce each hit a pair of homers Friday night, and the Cincinnati Reds piled up seven overall against a tattered pitching staff, rolling to an 11-2 victory that dealt another major setback to the Milwaukee Brewers' playoff chances.

The Brewers opened September with one of the best records in the majors, hopes of catching the Cubs in the NL Central, and a comforting 5 1/2-game lead in the wild-card race. For the second season in a row, they're collapsing at the end.

Milwaukee's 14th loss in 18 September games left the Cubs one victory -- or a Milwaukee loss -- from clinching their second straight division title. Worse, the Brewers are now desperately chasing the Mets, who began the day 1 1/2 games ahead in the wild-card race.

Only six pitches into this one, the Brewers were down for the count.

With Ben Sheets watching from the dugout railing, resting a sore pitching elbow that has thrown his season into doubt and the rotation into disarray, the rest of the Brewers' staff gave a horrible performance.

Milwaukee hadn't given up more than five homers in any game this season. The Reds topped that mark and kept going.

Jeff Suppan (10-10) has epitomized Milwaukee's fade. The right-hander went 5-0 in August, but has yet to win a game in September, going 0-3 while allowing 19 earned runs in 16 1-3 innings. He lasted only two innings on Friday night.

Votto hit Suppan's sixth pitch of the game for a three-run homer, his 20th. Two batters later, Bruce hit his 20th homer for a 5-0 lead, giving Cincinnati the only pair of 20-homer rookies in the majors.

Manny Parra relieved and gave up four homers -- solo shots by Votto, Jolbert Cabrera and Andy Phillips along with a two-run homer by Jerry Hairston Jr. Bruce completed the outburst with a solo shot off Tim Dillard.

Right-hander Ramon Ramirez (1-0) went six innings for his victory in the majors. The 26-year-old rookie has faced the Brewers twice this month and allowed only three runs in 12 innings.

It's been a numbing week for the Brewers, who fired manager Ned Yost on Monday and have gone 1-3 under interim manager Dale Sveum. With a chance to stop their slide at Wrigley Field on Thursday night, the Brewers took a 6-2 lead into the ninth and watched closer Solomon Torres give it up with two outs, setting up a crushing 7-6 loss in 12 innings.

A day later, they were done early.

Notes: Brewers RHP Yovani Gallardo threw 75 pitches in a simulated game on Friday. Gallardo tore a ligament in his right knee on May 2 and has been on the DL since. ... 2B Ray Durham strained his right hamstring and left in the fourth inning. He singled, extending his hitting streak to six games, but was caught stealing. ... Bruce has seven homers in September. The rookie is 4-for-7 career off Suppan with three homers. ... It was the fourth time that Votto and Bruce homered in the same game. ... The seven homers matched Cincinnati's season high.

[Associated Press; By JOE KAY]

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