Cincinnati, OH – Logan Schafer tied a career high with three hits, part of a 3-for-4 effort with a pair of doubles and two RBI, as Milwaukee silenced Cincinnati, 6-0, in the middle test of a three-game series.
Juan Francisco hit a two-run homer and drove in three runs for the Brewers, while Yovani Gallardo (6-6) gave up three hits and two walks along with five strikeouts over six sterling innings.
"I've felt really good my last three starts, going back to the one at home against Oakland," said Gallardo. "It seems like I'm getting it together and staying within myself. I'm commanding the fastball on both sides of the plate."
Jonathan Lucroy added two hits and scored twice for Milwaukee, which blanked an opponent for the first time all season.
Jay Bruce and Ryan Hanigan each collected a pair of hits for the Reds, but starter Homer Bailey (4-5) was touched for six runs and eight hits over seven full frames.
"They got a couple of mistakes that they hit for singles down the line and then I made some really good pitches that they put in play, so it's kind of a tough one to swallow," Bailey said. "It's not like we walked a bunch of people or they were banging them off the walls."
Cincinnati, which has dropped two of three, was held scoreless for the first time since April 26.
Milwaukee snagged a pair of two-out runs in the second to take the lead. With runners on the corners, a Bailey wild pitch brought in Lucroy before Francisco's fly to center scored Schafer.
Schafer started the fifth with a double and Francisco followed with his sixth homer of the season to make it 4-0 for the visitors.
It was 6-0 in the next inning, as Aramis Ramirez walked and Lucroy singled with one out before both scored on a Schafer double.
"If those guys continue to play well," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said of Francisco and Shafer, "We might be able to do some things."
The Reds threatened in the second, but Hanigan flied out with men on first and second. Gallardo was in control in every other inning, and retired the last five men he faced after a one-out single from Hanigan in the fifth.
Tom Gorzelanny gave up two hits in the seventh but survived, then departed after Shin-Soo Choo's leadoff hit in the eighth. Donovan Hand induced a double-play grounder from Zack Cosart and a flyout from Joey Votto to keep the shutout intact.
Jim Henderson finished off the shutout by working around a one-out double from Bruce in the ninth.
Game Notes
Milwaukee won for just the third time in its last 16 games at Great American Ball Park ... Bailey fell to 1-6 lifetime against the Brewers ... Prior to the game, the Reds placed pitcher Jonathan Broxton on the 15-day disabled list with a right elbow flexor mass strain, and recalled pitcher Pedro Villarreal from Triple-A Louisville ... Reds manager Dusty Baker celebrated his 64th birthday on Saturday ... The Brewers recalled outfielder Caleb Gindl from Triple-A Nashville as a replacement for Ryan Braun, who was placed on the 15- day DL Friday.
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