The Milwaukee Brewers erased a two-run deficit and pulled away for a 10-7 victory over the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on Friday, September 4, 2026. Rhett Lowder struggled through four innings, surrendering six earned runs on six hits and four walks, and the Reds bullpen couldn't hold the game together in the middle frames. Brice Turang went 3-for-4 with three RBI for Milwaukee, and Cooper Pratt drove in four runs to power the Brewers offense in a division contest that had real consequences in the NL Central standings.

Reds Offense Kept Cincinnati In It

Cincinnati's bats were not the problem on Friday night. Elly De La Cruz went 3-for-5 with an RBI, giving the Reds a spark throughout the lineup. Eugenio Suárez delivered the night's biggest individual blow, going 1-for-3 with a home run and three RBI. Matt McLain added a solo home run of his own, finishing 1-for-4 with two RBI. Dane Myers also contributed with two hits in five at-bats, keeping Cincinnati in scoring position repeatedly.

The Reds scored seven runs — enough to win plenty of ballgames — but the pitching simply could not match the offensive output on either side of this one.

Lowder and the Bullpen Couldn't Slow Milwaukee's Bats

Lowder took the loss after a rough outing. He allowed six earned runs on six hits while issuing four walks across four innings, never finding a consistent rhythm against a Brewers lineup that punished his mistakes. The combination of baserunners and damage done put Cincinnati in a deep hole early.

The bullpen presented a mixed picture. Sam Moll allowed two earned runs in one inning. Luis Mey surrendered one earned run on three hits across an inning of work. Pierce Johnson and Tejay Antone each threw a clean inning — Antone striking out three in his frame — and Julian Garcia closed things out without allowing a run. The damage, however, was already done before those later arms took the mound.

For Milwaukee, Chad Patrick earned the win with two scoreless innings, and Trevor Megill locked it down with a perfect ninth, striking out three to collect the save. Starter Shane Drohan allowed six earned runs across four innings but departed with enough of a cushion that his bullpen could protect the lead.

The Turning Point: Milwaukee's Middle-Inning Surge

The Brewers came into the game trailing at some point — the data confirms they overcame a two-run deficit — but Milwaukee's offense kept applying pressure and eventually broke through with the runs that flipped the scoreboard for good. Cooper Pratt's four RBI were central to that swing, and Turang's three-hit, three-RBI performance gave Milwaukee consistent production throughout the order. Once Patrick settled things down on the mound in the middle innings, the Reds couldn't generate the additional offense needed to retake the lead.

Key Performances

  • Elly De La Cruz: 3-for-5, 1 RBI
  • Eugenio Suárez: 1-for-3, 1 HR, 3 RBI
  • Matt McLain: 1-for-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI
  • Dane Myers: 2-for-5
  • Brice Turang (MIL): 3-for-4, 3 RBI
  • Cooper Pratt (MIL): 1-for-4, 4 RBI
  • Rhett Lowder: 4.0 IP, 6 ER, 6 H, 4 BB, 2 K (loss)
  • Tejay Antone: 1.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 K
  • Trevor Megill (MIL): 1.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 K (save)

What's Next

The Reds and Brewers remain at Great American Ball Park with more games in this division series still to come. After dropping Friday's opener, Cincinnati will need its starting pitching to stabilize and its bullpen to limit the damage-by-committee performances that have been costly. With Milwaukee showing it can battle back from a deficit and deliver late, the Reds cannot afford to let their division opponent build early momentum again. Every game in a head-to-head divisional set at this stage of the regular season carries weight, and Friday's loss makes the next matchup that much more urgent for Cincinnati.