Reds hand Arroyo ball in opener with Brewers
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Veteran right-hander Bronson Arroyo aims for a third quality start against Milwaukee this summer when the Cincinnati Reds visit Miller Park for the first of three games against the host Brewers.
Arroyo, a Key West, Fla. native who turned 35 in February, is 13-8 lifetime against the Brewers with a 3.67 earned run average across 27 appearances - 24 starts - and 157 innings of work.
He got a no-decision after allowing three runs on three hits in 7 2/3 innings of Cincinnati's 4-3 win on June 26 at Great American Ball Park, then earned a 6-2 triumph at the same venue on July 21 following six innings of two-run ball on five hits.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The defeat of Milwaukee was the first of three straight wins for Arroyo, who's subsequently beaten Colorado and San Diego while slightly trimming his ERA from 3.98 to 3.87.
He's 5-4 in 11 road starts this season and three wins away from reaching double digits for the seventh time in his career and fifth time in seven seasons with the Reds since a 2006 trade with Boston.
Milwaukee counters with ace right-hander Yovani Gallardo, who's fallen below .500 in his career against the Reds with losses on June 25 and against Arroyo on July 21.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The 26-year-old Mexican, now 4-5 in 14 starts against Cincinnati, combined to allow 13 hits and six runs in 11 2/3 innings in those games while running career totals against the Reds to 86 hits and 46 runs in 78 1/3 innings.
Cincinnati batters have hit a composite .281 against him - 40 points higher than his career mark of .241.
He lost to Washington, 8-2, in his next start after the most recent loss to the Reds, but bounced back for a 10-1 defeat of Houston on July 31 after giving up just three hits and a run in seven innings.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Gallardo is 5-3 in 12 home starts.
On Sunday in Cincinnati, Pittsburgh's A.J. Burnett (14-3) held the Reds to a pair of runs on three hits and three walks while striking out seven in 8 2/3 innings of the Pirates' 6-2 win.
Drew Stubbs homered and scored twice for the Reds, who had won 15 of 16.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Homer Bailey (9-7) picked up his first loss since June 27 after getting roughed up for his second straight start. Bailey, who gave up six runs in 3 2/3 frames on Tuesday, was tagged for four runs on nine hits and a walk in 3 2/3 innings in the setback.
Cincinnati leads second-place Pittsburgh by 4 1/2 games in the National League Central Division.
In St. Louis, Kyle Lohse spun six scoreless innings and the Cardinals blanked the Brewers, 3-0, to complete a three-game sweep at Busch Stadium.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Marco Estrada (0-5) pitched well in defeat, giving up just a run on seven hits and a walk over six strong innings to remain winless on the season.
The Brewers have lost a season-high nine straight road games.
The Reds have won seven of nine games between the teams in 2012, including a three-game sweep in Cincinnati when they last met from July 20-22.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Milwaukee last won the season series in 2006.