MILWAUKEE -- After making loud outs in his previous two plate appearances, Ryan Braun snapped a slump by hitting a tie-breaking, two-run home run in the eighth inning to beat the Reds, 4-2, at Miller Park on Saturday night.Braun's blast made a winner of Brewers reliever Will Smith, who had allowed a tying home run to Billy Hamilton in the top half, and tied the series between these National League Central foes at one game apiece, with a Father's Day finale to come on Sunday. 
Before connecting against Reds reliever J.J. Hoover with one out and Scooter Gennett on second as part of his own big night, Braun was homerless since June 1 and limited to four hits in his last 34 plate appearances, including a fourth-inning lineout on Saturday that nearly knocked over Reds shortstop Zack Cosart, and a flyout to the warning track in the sixth inning against Reds starter Mat Latos.In the eighth against Hoover, Braun hit the first pitch into the right-field seats for his 10th home run, snapping a 2-2 tie.The first seven innings were dominated by the starting pitchers, with Latos coming off the disabled list for the Reds to work six scoreless innings and Yovani Gallardo pitching seven innings for Milwaukee for the second straight start. Gallardo allowed only one run on six hits, with two walks and eight strikeouts. Over his past two starts, he's allowed one run in 14 innings with 16 strikeouts.Unable to get anything going against Latos, who gave up two hits over six scoreless innings, the Brewers scored twice in the seventh against relievers Logan Ondrusek and Manny Parra to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead. They did it with small ball, beginning with a Jonathan Lucroy walk and a Carlos Gomez single. The runners advanced on Aramis Ramirez's flyout before Khris Davis' groundout scored Lucroy for a 1-1 tie.When the Reds summoned Parra to face left-handed-hitting Lyle Overbay, the Brewers countered with Rickie Weeks, who grounded a single to left field for the Brewers' first lead in the series. Weeks improved to 25-for-70 (.357) since April 25, 8-for-26 (.308) as a pinch-hitter and 10-for-30 (.300) with runners in scoring position.But the Reds found a quick and surprising answer against previous indomitable Brewers reliever Smith, who is showing his first signs of wear over the past two weeks. With one out -- thanks to a terrific barehanded play by Ramirez at third -- Smith elevated a fastball to speedster Hamilton, who connected for a tying home run to left field.It marked the first homer off Smith this season and only the fifth extra-base hit.Adam McCalvy / MLB.com
Before connecting against Reds reliever J.J. Hoover with one out and Scooter Gennett on second as part of his own big night, Braun was homerless since June 1 and limited to four hits in his last 34 plate appearances, including a fourth-inning lineout on Saturday that nearly knocked over Reds shortstop Zack Cosart, and a flyout to the warning track in the sixth inning against Reds starter Mat Latos.In the eighth against Hoover, Braun hit the first pitch into the right-field seats for his 10th home run, snapping a 2-2 tie.The first seven innings were dominated by the starting pitchers, with Latos coming off the disabled list for the Reds to work six scoreless innings and Yovani Gallardo pitching seven innings for Milwaukee for the second straight start. Gallardo allowed only one run on six hits, with two walks and eight strikeouts. Over his past two starts, he's allowed one run in 14 innings with 16 strikeouts.Unable to get anything going against Latos, who gave up two hits over six scoreless innings, the Brewers scored twice in the seventh against relievers Logan Ondrusek and Manny Parra to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead. They did it with small ball, beginning with a Jonathan Lucroy walk and a Carlos Gomez single. The runners advanced on Aramis Ramirez's flyout before Khris Davis' groundout scored Lucroy for a 1-1 tie.When the Reds summoned Parra to face left-handed-hitting Lyle Overbay, the Brewers countered with Rickie Weeks, who grounded a single to left field for the Brewers' first lead in the series. Weeks improved to 25-for-70 (.357) since April 25, 8-for-26 (.308) as a pinch-hitter and 10-for-30 (.300) with runners in scoring position.But the Reds found a quick and surprising answer against previous indomitable Brewers reliever Smith, who is showing his first signs of wear over the past two weeks. With one out -- thanks to a terrific barehanded play by Ramirez at third -- Smith elevated a fastball to speedster Hamilton, who connected for a tying home run to left field.It marked the first homer off Smith this season and only the fifth extra-base hit.Adam McCalvy / MLB.com
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