Reds blanked, limited to two hits by Brewers
Gio Gonzalez MILWAUKEE — is getting comfortable with his new team.
The left-hander pitched six smooth innings on his 33rd birthday, and Jesus Aguilar hit a three-run homer in the Milwaukee Brewers’ 7-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday night.
Manny Pina also had a three-run shot, and Aguilar finished with four RBIs as he reached 103 for the season. Gonzalez’s stellar showing helped the Brewers boost their lead for the top NL wild card to three games over St. Louis, which lost to Atlanta earlier.
The Brewers also moved within 2½ games of the firstplace Cubs in the NL Central. Chicago lost 9-0 at Arizona.
Gonzalez (9-11) was acquired in a trade with Washington on Aug. 31 in an effort to bolster the Brewers’ starting rotation. He has picked up a victory in two of his three starts with Milwaukee, and the Brewers have won all three games.
“It’s been easy to play with these guys because they make you feel welcome,” Gonzalez said. “There’s no added pressure. Just go out there and play the best you can.”
He allowed just two hits Wednesday — both singles — while striking out five and walking two.
Reds right-hander Matt Harvey (7-9), a pitcher the Brewers nearly acquired a few weeks ago before a proposed deal fell through, gave up Aguilar’s game-changing home run.
Harvey was not happy with his outing, which dropped him to 1-3 with a 6.39 ERA in six career starts against the Brewers. He allowed seven earned runs in 5⅓ innings.
“The whole start was not good,” he said. “I have to be better.”
Corey Knebel, Junior Guerra and Freddy Peralta finished up for Milwaukee, each pitching one inning in the combined two-hitter.