Counsell defends Villar’s aggressiveness

MILWAUKEE — If one criticizes Jonathan Villar’s bad outcomes on the bases, Brewers manager Craig Counsell was arguing once again Friday afternoon, one must equally praise the good ones. A few hours later, Villar delivered a few more doses of good.

Villar reached safely four times, matched his season high with three hits, scored a pair of runs and drove in two more in Milwaukee’s 9-5 win over the Reds at Miller Park. He extended his on-base streak to 12 consecutive home games, and, yes, he nearly made another notable out at third base.

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This time, instant replay provided an escape. Villar, who had walked in the first inning and stole second base, was initially called out trying to swipe third. Counsell challenged, the call was reversed, and Villar’s Major League-leading 17th stolen base led directly to a run on Jonathan Lucroy’s sacrifice fly.

“This is the place where you guys like to point out the outs that he made, but you guys don’t talk about when he stole second base to win the game on Wednesday night,” Counsell said earlier in the day, referring to a Brewers win in Atlanta two …

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