Votto leads four-homer outburst
CINCINNATI — Joey Votto bolstered his case for the All-Star Game with another big swing.
Votto hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the fifth inning, helping the Cincinnati Reds top the Milwaukee Brewers 8-6 on Tuesday night.
"I do think Votto should be on the All-Star team," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "I voted for him. I'm not that guy. I vote for the guys I think deserve it. Instead of looking at the statistics, we're blessed to see him play every day. The power is great. There are so many parts to his game that I'm impressed with."
Billy Hamilton, Adam Duvall and Eugenio Suarez also connected for Cincinnati, which scored its most runs in 19 games since Scooter Gennett hit four homers in its 13-1 win over St. Louis on June 6.
Milwaukee slugger Ryan Braun returned after missing 31 games with a strained left calf, but the National League Central-leading Brewers lost for the third time in four games.
Braun went 1 for 5 with a double. He was robbed of another hit when right fielder Scott Schebler went to the wall to make a lunging catch for the final out of the game.
Travis Shaw's three-run shot off Tim Adleman (5-4) gave Milwaukee a 5-4 lead in the third inning. But Suarez responded with his 12th homer in the bottom half, stopping a 0-for-13 slide.
"My mechanics have been good," Suarez said. "There was nothing wrong with my swing. It was more mental. When you're not getting hits, you think too much. I have been trying to get a good pitch in the strike zone to hit."
Gennett led off the fifth with a base hit and Votto followed with a drive to right-center off Junior Guerra (1-2) for his 21st homer.
Adleman tied his career high by allowing three home runs in five innings. He surrendered five hits, struck out seven and walked three.