Santiago Espinal drove in the game-winning run and Jonathan India had three hits and threw out the go-ahead runner at the plate in the 10th as the host Cincinnati Reds edged the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 in 11 innings on Sunday afternoon.
Espinal, a pinch hitter, drove home free runner Rece Hinds from third with a one-out comebacker hit that pitcher Bryse Wilson couldn’t handle as the Reds won for just the second time in seven games on their 10-game homestand in salvaging the final game of a four-game series with the Brewers.
Alexis Diaz (2-5) pitched a perfect 11th to earn the win while Brent Suter returned from the injured list to toss three perfect innings.
Wilson (5-4) got out of a seventh-inning jam and pitched a perfect eighth and ninth before suffering the loss in the 11th, his fifth inning of work.
Milwaukee’s Willy Adames, who finished off a spectacular weekend series with his fourth homer in as many games, popped out against Diaz with the go-ahead run at third.
The Brewers finished their season series taking 9 of 13 from the Reds.
With one out in the 10th and Brewers free runner Andruw Monasterio at third, India fielded a high-hop grounder off the bat of Brice Turang and threw a strike home to nab Monasterio.
Left-hander Brandon Williamson was activated off the 60-day injured list and made his first start of the season after spending the first five months rehabbing from a left shoulder strain. Williamson’s minor league rehab stint was cut short to allow him to start Sunday for the injury-depleted Cincinnati rotation.
Milwaukee scored its first run in the third inning. Following one-out singles by Joey Ortiz, Turang and Jackson Chourio to load the bases, Blake Perkins followed with a sacrifice fly to center to score Ortiz.
In the fourth, Adames hit a solo shot just beyond the reach of TJ Friedl in center for his 28th of the season, tying the game at 2-2.
Williamson was pulled one batter later, allowing just two runs on four hits, striking out five and walking none.
The Reds took an early 2-0 lead in the second when Jake Fraley opened with his fourth homer on the first pitch he faced back from the injured list, a drive to the seats in deep right on a hanging breaking pitch from Milwaukee starter Tobias Myers.
