By JOE KAY

AP Sports Writer

 

CINCINNATI — Two mistakes by Homer Bailey prevented the Cincinnati Reds from finishing off a sweep.

Rickie Weeks and Cody Ransom hit two-run homers off Bailey that powered the Milwaukee Brewers to an 8-4 victory on Wednesday afternoon before the Reds head to the West Coast for the next 11 games.

They left town still in first place in the NL Central.

Zack Greinke (9-2) remained unbeaten against the Reds, allowing two runs in six innings. Greinke improved to 4-0 in six career starts against first-place Cincinnati, which now leads the Brewers by 7 1/2 games in the division.

“I thought I made a lot of good pitches,” Bailey said. “Against a guy like Greinke, if you don’t put a lot of goose eggs up on the board, you’re not going to get a lot of wins.”

Bailey (5-6) has had nothing but trouble against Milwaukee, falling to 0-5 in 10 games with a 6.50 ERA. He left after failing to get an out in the fifth inning, trailing 5-2.

The Brewers came to town hoping to take at least two of three and get back in the race.

A slumping offense held them back the first two games. They didn’t even manage a hit until the eighth inning of a 4-3 loss on Tuesday night.

Milwaukee broke out with 11 hits on Wednesday, including two doubles, a triple and two homers.

“One thing the Brewers have always been able to do is hit the ball out of the ballpark,” Reds manager Dusty Baker said. “If you don’t make quality pitches, they’ll reach the fences.”

The Brewers wasted a bases-loaded, none-out chance to break the game open in the seventh inning, failing to score. Milwaukee put it away with three in the ninth off Jose Arredondo, who walked Aramis Ramirez and Corey Hart with the bases loaded.

Weeks hit a two-run homer in the second off Bailey, who snapped his glove toward the ground in anger as soon as the ball left the bat. Center fielder Chris Heisey jumped for the ball at the wall, but couldn’t quite reach it.

Weeks’ first homer since May 26 left him 11 of 20 in his career off Bailey with a pair of homers. It also made it 65 consecutive games at Great American Ball Park with at least one homer, the longest such streak since an 80-game stretch at Coors Field in 2002-03.

Ransom hit a two-run homer in the fourth for a 5-1 lead.

Brewers right fielder Nyjer Morgan got tangled with a fan as he reached into the stands to try to catch a foul ball in the ninth inning. The fan reached for the ball and grabbed Morgan’s glove. The outfielder yanked it away, and the fan yelled something at Morgan, who waved as he went back to his position.

“Our hands just got tangled up,” Morgan said. “One of those things. I gave him a little ‘get-off-me.’ He was doing his part of being a fan and trying to help his team out.”

Greinke allowed five hits and a pair of runs in six innings, including Ryan Ludwick’s solo homer. Ludwick had another solo shot in the ninth off Livan Hernandez, his second multihomer game of the season.

Reds Gold Glove second baseman Brandon Phillips got hit in the temple by Ramirez’s arm while tagging him out on a steal attempt in the third. Phillips was a little dizzy and left the game three innings later.

“Something hit me in the temple,” Phillips said. “I started seeing stars and I got lightheaded. I was off-balance a little bit.”

Phillips was tested for a concussion after the game.

“They had me in there asking me things, seeing if I had a concussion,” Phillips said. “I can’t remember what they were saying.”

NOTES: The Brewers completed a 2-4 trip and returned home for a day off, followed by seven games against Arizona and Miami. … The Reds head into the All-Star break with an 11-game trip to San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego. … OF Ryan Braun was out of the Brewers’ lineup with a tender left elbow, hit by Bronson Arroyo’s pitch in the first inning on Tuesday night. Braun finished that game, but the elbow was bothering him a day later. … CF Drew Stubbs and 3B Scott Rolen were out of the Reds’ starting lineup, getting some rest. … Reds rookie SS Zack Cozart singled in the eighth, snapping an 0-for-19 slump.

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