CINCINNATI (AP) — Ryan Braun hit his fourth career grand slam and a solo homer Wednesday, powering the Milwaukee Brewers to an 8-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds that provided a one-day respite from their awful start.
Milwaukee ended a seven-game losing streak on the road and improved to 5-17 overall, the worst start by a National League team since the 1997 Cubs went 4-18.
All but one of the 11 combined runs came off homers. The NL Central rivals combined for 12 homers in the final two games, 10 of them solos.
Braun, Adam Lind and Khris Davis had solo shots off Michael Lorenzen (0-1), a 23-year-old making his major league debut. The Reds called him up from Triple-A to fill in for Homer Bailey, who is out indefinitely with a damaged ligament in his pitching elbow. Matt Garza allowed 2 runs over 6 2/3rds innings for the victory.