twins/mlb

Final Score: Cincinnati 3, Milwaukee 1

Cincinnati, OH (Sports Network) - Homer Bailey worked eight strong innings and the Cincinnati Reds hit three home runs to top the Milwaukee Brewers, 3-1, in the opener of a three-game series at Great American Ball Park.

Bailey (9-6) allowed one run on six hits and did not walk a batter while tying his career-high with 10 strikeouts to record his fourth straight win. Aroldis Chapman worked a scoreless ninth to secure his 16th save of the year.

"He was dealing today. He had great location with his fastball and late life on his slider that was hard to pick up," Reds manager Dusty Baker said about Bailey. "He wanted to go nine, but that was enough."

Zack Cozart, Jay Bruce and Scott Rolen each went deep for the Reds, who have won nine of their last 11 games.

Marco Estrada (0-4) surrendered all three runs on seven hits over seven innings to remain winless on the season. It was his 16th appearance and 10th start this year for Milwaukee, which had its two-game win streak snapped.

"He didn't have his command as well as he's had in the past, but I thought he still made good pitches and he still changed speeds well," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said about Estrada.

After the Brewers stranded a man on third in the first inning, neither team would advance a runner past first base until Cozart laced a line-drive home run over the left-field wall in the fourth inning.

Estrada had retired the first 10 batters he faced prior to Cozart's 10th homer of the year.

The Reds had a chance to extend their lead in the fifth inning when Rolen legged out a double on a ball that deflected into the outfield off the glove of shortstop Cody Ransom. Rolen advanced to third on a wild pitch.

He tried to take home on a fly ball to left field off the bat of Devin Mesoraco. Ryan Braun's throw to the plate was right on line, allowing Martin Maldonado to easily apply the tag for the inning-ending double play.

Cincinnati, though, was able to add a pair of runs in the seventh inning on shots by Bruce and Rolen for a 3-0 lead.

Milwaukee got on the board in the eighth when Maldonado opened the inning with a single and rounded the bases on Norichika Aoki's two-out double to left field that Ryan Ludwick had fall out of his glove as he tracked the ball to the wall.

However, Aoki would be stranded on second as Carlos Gomez popped out in front of the plate and Chapman struck out two in a perfect ninth to seal the win.

Game Notes

Braun's single in the fourth inning was the 1,000th hit of his career...Bailey improved to 1-5 in 11 career starts against the Brewers...Estrada fell to 1-3 in eight appearances -- four starts -- against Cincinnati...It was the 73rd straight game at Great American Ball Park with a home run.