CINCINNATI (AP) — Reds manager Bryan Price thought that Jonathan Lucroy had struck out. Turns out, he was right. And that was just one of many things that went wrong for Cincinnati on an all-around bad night.

Lucroy’s two-run homer started Milwaukee’s five-run third inning, and the Brewers rolled to a 9-1 victory over the Reds on Saturday night with their best offensive showing in nearly two months.

The bottom two teams in the NL Central have split the first two games of their series.

Lucroy connected off left-hander John Lamb (1-7) in the third as he continued taking advantage of the last-place Reds. The All-Star catcher is 14 for 31 (.452) against Cincinnati this season, with five of his 12 homers and 15 RBIs.

First, there was some controversy. Lucroy swung at a two-strike pitch that landed in the dirt, but plate umpire Quinn Wolcott heard a sound and called a foul tip, extending the at-bat. Replays indicated that Lucroy missed the ball, but the tip of his bat hit the plate, causing a sound. Lucroy initially thought his bat hit the ball but later realized he’d hit only the plate.

Price immediately came out to argue, but got nowhere.

“It was an honest mistake,” Lucroy said. “I don’t blame (Price). I don’t blame him at all. I really thought I’d foul-tipped it. He (Wolcott) did, too. That’s one of those crazy things that happen during a game.”

When Price went out to change pitchers later during the long inning, he got into it again with the umpire, who gave him his third ejection of the season.

“There was more into it than that, and we’ll leave it at that,” Price said. “Quinn does a great job. I have no problems with effort. We had a difference of opinion and it got out of hand.”

Lamb and reliever Keyvius Sampson needed 53 pitches to get through the inning as the Brewers sent 11 batters to the plate and piled up five hits, three walks and five runs for a 9-0 lead. Jimmy Nelson (6-7) faked a bunt and slapped a two-run single during the spurt.

The Brewers hadn’t scored nine runs in a game since May 27, when they beat the Reds 9-5. Cincinnati’s starting pitcher that game: Lamb.

Hernan Perez also hit a two-run homer off Lamb, who gave up nine runs and nine hits. He left after the first five Brewers reached in the third inning. The left-hander has lost his last three starts, giving up 20 runs in 11 1/3 innings.

Lamb recognized that the string of bad starts could jeopardize his spot in the rotation.

“Anytime you don’t do well, there’s a collective frustration,” he said. “It’s frustrating when there are expectations and you’re not meeting them. I hope I continue to have the ball every five days.”

Nelson gave up six hits and a pair of walks in seven shutout innings, emerging from his slump. He had been 0-4 with a 5.14 ERA in his last seven starts. Joey Votto had four of Cincinnati’s nine hits.

Jonathan Villar had three of the Brewers’ 12 hits. Each of the top seven batters in the order scored.

BREWERS MOVE

Milwaukee optioned INF Yadiel Rivera to Triple-A after the game, opening a roster spot for RH Zach Davies to be called up and start on Sunday.

STATS

The eight-run margin of victory matched the Brewers’ biggest on the road this season. They won 10-2 at Miami on May 10. … It was Votto’s first four-hit game since April 15, 2014, against Pittsburgh. He’s had a career-high four hits 17 times.

GIVEAWAY

The Reds gave away Zack Cozart bobbleheads. The shortstop went 0 for 3 but made a diving catch.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Brewers: Perez fouled a ball off his left foot and came out of the game an inning later. He was sent for precautionary X-rays.

Reds: 2B Brandon Phillips was out of the lineup with a strained right calf, injured during a swing in Friday night’s game.

UP NEXT

Brewers: Davies (6-4) has gone 6-1 with a 3.24 ERA in his last 12 starts. He’s made seven quality starts.

Reds: Dan Straily (4-6) is 0-4 in his last five starts, giving up 23 earned runs in 27 innings.

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Follow Joe Kay on Twitter: http://twitter.com/apjoekay

SATURDAY’S GAME

Brewers 9, Reds 1

Milwaukee AB R H BI BB SO Avg.

Villar ss 5 1 3 1 0 0 .305

Perez rf 4 1 1 2 0 2 .261

Nieuwenhuis cf 1 0 0 0 0 0 .205

Braun lf 3 2 2 0 1 1 .314

b-Elmore ph-lf 1 0 0 0 0 0 .100

Lucroy c 3 1 1 2 1 1 .303

c-Maldonado ph-c 1 0 0 0 0 0 .149

Carter 1b 4 2 1 1 1 1 .227

Gennett 2b 5 1 2 0 0 1 .268

Middlebrooks 3b 4 1 1 1 1 2 .200

Flores cf-rf 3 0 0 0 1 1 .221

Nelson p 4 0 1 2 0 2 .114

Barnes p 0 0 0 0 0 0 —

Marinez p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Totals 38 9 12 9 5 11

 

Cincinnati AB R H BI BB SO Avg.

Cozart ss 3 0 0 0 1 1 .264

Diaz p 0 0 0 0 0 0 —

e-Barnhart ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .268

Hamilton cf 4 0 0 0 1 2 .237

Votto 1b 5 1 4 0 0 1 .261

Bruce rf 2 0 0 0 1 1 .267

Wood p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

d-De Jesus ph-ss 1 0 1 0 0 0 .229

Duvall lf 4 0 1 1 0 1 .249

Suarez 3b 4 0 0 0 0 1 .223

Peraza 2b 3 0 1 0 0 0 .247

Cabrera c 4 0 1 0 0 0 .267

Lamb p 1 0 0 0 0 0 .050

Sampson p 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000

Smith p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

a-Holt ph-rf 2 0 1 0 0 0 .225-

Totals 35 1 9 1 3 8

 

Milwaukee 405 000 000 = 9 12 0

Cincinnati 000 000 010 = 1 9 0

 

a-singled for Smith in the 7th. b-flied out for Braun in the 8th. c-grounded out for Lucroy in the 8th. d-singled for Wood in the 8th. e-out on fielder’s choice for Diaz in the 9th.

LOB—Milwaukee 7, Cincinnati 11. 2B—Carter (17), Votto (16). HR—Perez (5), off Lamb; Lucroy (12), off Lamb. RBIs—Villar (33), Perez 2 (22), Lucroy 2 (45), Carter (52), Middlebrooks (1), Nelson 2 (3), Duvall (64). SB—Peraza (10).

Runners left in scoring position—Milwaukee 2 (Lucroy 2); Cincinnati 6 (Votto 2, Duvall 2, Peraza, Lamb). RISP—Milwaukee 3 for 7; Cincinnati 1 for 12.

Runners moved up—Cabrera. GIDP—Suarez.

DP—Milwaukee 1 (Middlebrooks, Gennett, Carter).

 

Milwaukee IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA

Nelson W, 6-7 7 6 0 0 2 7 93 3.40

Barnes 1 2 1 1 0 0 15 4.20

Marinez 1 1 0 0 1 1 19 3.22

 

Cincinnati IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA

Lamb L, 1-7 2 9 9 9 2 3 64 6.43

Sampson 4 3 0 0 2 5 69 5.51

Smith 1 0 0 0 1 2 15 4.88

Wood 1 0 0 0 0 0 13 3.12

Diaz 1 0 0 0 0 1 12 4.80

 

Lamb pitched to 5 batters in the 3rd.

Inherited runners-scored—Sampson 3-3. HBP—Marinez (Peraza).

Umpires—Home, Quinn Wolcott; First, Mark Carlson; Second, Mike DiMuro; Third, Brian Gorman.

T—3:03. A—31,328 (42,319).