Willy Adames hit a three-run homer and Brice Turang added a two-run shot as the Milwaukee Brewers continued their offensive surge with an 8-3 victory over the visiting Cincinnati Reds on Friday night in the opener of the three-game series.
The Brewers were coming off a three-game sweep at Atlanta in which they scored 34 runs on 52 hits, batting .400 as a team.
Milwaukee jumped out to an 8-0 lead after three innings against Carson Spiers (4-4), who needed 108 pitches to get through five innings. Spiers allowed eight runs on seven hits, striking out seven and walking four.
Aaron Civale (3-8) allowed two runs on five hits in 6 1/3 innings to win for the first time in six starts with Milwaukee since being acquired from Tampa Bay in early July.
Civale took a shutout into the seventh before surrendering Spencer Steer’s 16th homer of the year to open the inning. Jeimer Candelario singled, but was thrown out at home trying to score on Ty France’s double. Nick Mears came on in relief and gave up a two-run homer to Stuart Fairchild, his eighth, to make it 8-3.
Adames staked the Brewers to a 3-0 lead with his first-inning homer. Jackson Chourio and Garrett Mitchell drew consecutive one-out walks. After William Contreras struck out, Adames sent a 1-2 pitch 391 feet to right for his team-leading 21st homer.
Milwaukee made it 6-0 with three more in the second. Jake Bauers singled with one out and Joey Ortiz followed with an RBI double to center. Turang then sent a 1-1 pitch to left-center for his seventh home run.
The Brewers added two runs in the third. Contreras singled to open the inning and Sal Frelick hit a one-out drive that bounced past diving center fielder TJ Friedl for a triple. Rhys Hoskins followed with an RBI single.
Reds right fielder Jake Fraley left in the fourth inning with what the Reds announced as a left ankle sprain.