MILWAUKEE – In a game where Luis Castillo and Brandon Woodruff lived up to the hype in a pitcher’s duel Wednesday, it was Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Avisaíl García who stole the show.
García nearly did it all. He hit a go-ahead double off Castillo in the fourth inning. He threw out a runner at second base in the sixth and he robbed a homer in the eighth.
The Cincinnati Reds had no answers for García or Woodruff in a 4-1 loss at American Family Field. The Brewers have virtually locked up a division title before September, taking a 9.5-game lead over the second-place Reds.
Christian Yelich delivered Milwaukee’s first hit off Castillo when he hit a leadoff double down the third-base line, against a defensive shift, to open the fourth inning. García followed two pitches later with an RBI double into the left-center gap.
That run was the difference in a pitcher’s duel. The Brewers have won five consecutive games against the Reds to run away with the division. They have the largest divisional lead in MLB.
The Reds missed an opportunity to strike early against Woodruff. Jonathan India was hit by a 95-mph fastball on his left hand on the fourth pitch of the game. India was in obvious pain, checked by a trainer as he stood behind the plate, but he remained in the game. He’s been hit a league-high 19 times this year.
Tyler Naquin, the next batter after India, dropped a bunt single against a defensive shift to put two runners on base with no outs in the first inning. Facing the middle of the Reds’ lineup, Woodruff escaped the jam. Nick Castellanos fouled out in right field, advancing the two runners up a base.
Woodruff struck out Joey Votto in an eight-pitch at-bat, aided by a generous strike zone for a called third strike, and then induced an inning-ending groundout against Mike Moustakas.
Maybe stranding two runners in scoring position gave Woodruff new life. After allowing a bloop single to Kyle Farmer to begin the second inning, Woodruff retired the next 13 hitters while striking out nine of them.
Naquin had a one-out broken-bat single in the sixth inning. Castellanos responded with an eight-pitch battle against Woodruff, which included six foul balls, before he poked a check-swing single to right field. Castellanos tried to stretch the hit into a double, but he was thrown out at second base by García, the call standing after a replay review. García’s throw was clocked at 92 mph, a 150-foot strike to the bag.
With Naquin standing on third base, Woodruff induced a flyout against Votto to end the inning and end his outing.
Woodruff had 10 strikeouts by the end of the fifth inning, his 10th career start with at least 10 punchouts and his fourth time accomplishing the feat this season. He pitched six shutout innings, lowering his season ERA to 2.38.
The Brewers added a run against Castillo in the seventh inning. García was hit by a pitch to begin the frame and Luis Urías reached on an infield single to shortstop. After a mound visit, Jace Peterson laced an RBI double that bounced over the left-field wall to double his team’s lead as Milwaukee’s dugout erupted.
Castillo allowed two runs on four hits and two walks in 6 1/3 innings, striking out six. Lucas Sims pitched out of the seventh-inning jam, stranding two runners in scoring position with back-to-back strikeouts.
The Reds’ reward for running up Woodruff’s pitch count? A chance to face the back of the Brewers’ bullpen: Brad Boxberger, Devin Williams and Josh Hader.
If that wasn’t enough, Reds pinch-hitter Max Schrock was robbed of a homer by García in right field. Williams, mouth agape, raised his hands over his head. The crowd of 24,715 gave him a standing ovation. The Brewers’ dugout raised their caps in appreciation.
García, running in from the wall, raised his glove above his head, threw the ball to the infield, then broke into a grin as he signaled it was the second out of the inning.
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