MILWAUKEE (AP) — Edwin Encarnacion guessed he would see a fastball from Milwaukee Brewers ace Yovani Gallardo. He didn’t expect the pitch to be right in his zone.

Encarnacion hit a towering grand slam to cap a six-run rally with two outs in the third inning, and the Cincinnati Reds started their longest road trip this season by roughing up Gallardo in a 7-6 win Monday night.

‘‘I just tried to look for something in the strike zone — hopefully a fastball because he got behind the other hitters,’’ Encarnacion said. ‘‘I hit it in the perfect spot.’’

Jay Bruce also hit his first homer of the year as the Reds overcame a four-run deficit with a scoring binge to begin an 11-day, 10-game trip that includes series against NL Central rivals Houston and Chicago.

Milwaukee has lost three straight despite building a 5-1 lead in the first two innings off Reds starter Edinson Volquez, who labored again allowing six runs off seven hits and four walks.

But Gallardo (1-1) gave it back and the Reds bullpen held on with four scoreless innings, capped by Francisco Cordero’s second save this season.

While Volquez (1-1) struggled, Gallardo had an ugly 40-pitch third inning that began innocuously with two outs.

The 23-year-old right-hander quickly came unraveled with back-to-back walks to Willy Taveras and Chris Dickerson before Joey Votto’s RBI single made it 5-2.

Brandon Phillips walked to load the bases, Bruce was hit by a pitch to score another run and Encarnacion hit a belt-high fastball deep over the Brewers bullpen for his third career grand slam to give the Reds a 7-5 lead.

Reds 7, Brewers 6

Cincinnati Milwaukee

ab r h bi ab r h bi

Tavers cf 4 1 0 0 Weeks 2b 4 1 1 0

Dickrsn lf 4 1 1 0 Hart rf 4 1 2 3

Votto 1b 3 1 1 1 Braun lf 2 0 0 0

Phillips 2b 3 1 0 0 Fielder 1b 4 0 0 1

Bruce rf 3 2 1 2 Hardy ss 5 1 1 1

Encrnc 3b 3 1 1 4 Camrn cf 5 1 2 0

RHrndz c 4 0 1 0 Hall 3b 3 1 1 0

AlGnzlz ss 4 0 0 0 Coffey p 0 0 0 0

Volquez p 2 0 0 0 Stetter p 0 0 0 0

Burton p 0 0 0 0 Duffy ph 0 0 0 0

DMcDn ph 1 0 0 0 Kendall c 4 1 2 1

Rhodes p 0 0 0 0 Gallard p 2 0 1 0

Wethrs p 0 0 0 0 BNelsn ph 1 0 0 0

Nix ph 1 0 1 0 DiFelic p 0 0 0 0

Corder p 0 0 0 0 Counsll 3b 2 0 0 0

Totals 32 7 6 7 Totals 36 6 10 6

Cincinnati 016 000 000 — 7

Milwaukee 140 010 000 — 6

E—Taveras 2 (2). DP—Cincinnati 1, Milwaukee 1. LOB—Cincinnati 4, Milwaukee 12. 2B—Dickerson (1), Nix (1). 3B—Hart (1). HR—Bruce (1), Encarnacion (1), Hart (3), Hardy (1). SB—Braun (2).

IP H R ER BB SO

Cincinnati

Volquez W,1-1 5 7 6 6 4 4

Burton H,2 1 0 0 0 1 0

Rhodes H,2 1 2 0 0 0 0

Weathers H,2 1 1 0 0 2 1

Cordero S,2-2 1 0 0 0 1 0

Milwaukee

Gallardo L,1-1 5 3 7 7 4 3

DiFelice 2 2 0 0 1 3

Coffey 1 2-3 1 0 0 0 2

Stetter 1-3 0 0 0 0 0

HBP—by Volquez (Weeks), by Gallardo (Bruce). Balk—Volquez. Umpires—Home, Mike Reilly; First, Chuck Meriwether; Second, Eric Cooper; Third, Laz Diaz. T—3:28. A—25,016 (41,900).