Simon, early homers lead Reds past Brewers

CINCINNATI — The Reds played perhaps their best game of 2016, with Alfredo Simon pitching into the eighth inning and getting plenty of offense — including home runs from Jay Bruce, Brandon Phillips and Adam Duvall — in a 9-5 win over the Brewers on Thursday.

Simon gave up three earned runs and seven hits over 7 2/3 innings with one walk and five strikeouts, in the process extending the Reds rotation’s streak of quality starts to five games. Milwaukee scored its first run on Aaron Hill’s two-out RBI single in the fifth inning. A two-out, two-run homer from Alex Presley in the eighth ended Simon’s night.

The Reds sent nine men to the plate against Brewers starter Chase Anderson in the first inning. Following a sacrifice fly from Phillips for the game’s first run, Bruce cranked a three-run home run to right field for his fifth long ball of the season. After Duvall reached on a two-out throwing error by Jonathan Villar, Tucker Barnhart’s RBI single added an unearned run for a 5-0 Reds lead.

In the second inning, Phillips made it a 7-0 game with a two-run homer to left-center field on a 2-2 pitch, his third long ball of the season. Anderson did not allow another hit over the rest of his outing, but the damage was already done. The Brewers righty conceded seven runs (six earned) and six hits over five innings with two walks and four strikeouts. Duvall’s two-run homer in the ninth was his third in his last three games.

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