Brewers handed disappointing loss amid tight WC race

MILWAUKEE -- The scene that played out on Friday night as the Brewers fell, 8-2, to the Reds at American Family Field was all too familiar to those who've watched the team regularly since the season got underway in April.

There was a starting pitcher who, after digging a deep hole early, recovered to limit any further damage; a solid middle-relief performance that kept the game within reach; an offense that struggled to back up that effort against a left-handed pitcher; and ultimately, another painful loss to a team well out of contention that punched yet another hole into the boat keeping the Brewers' dwindling postseason hopes afloat, as they sit 3 1/2 games back of the final NL Wild Card spot.

"There's no script to it," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "They played better than us tonight."

The Brewers found themselves playing from behind just three pitches into the game, when Jason Alexander hung an 0-2 slider to TJ Friedl, who smacked it into the visitors' bullpen in right field for his first career leadoff home run.

Five more batters reached -- and two more runs scored -- before Nick Senzel bounced into a run-scoring double play for the first two outs of the inning. Cincinnati plated one more before Alexander finally got out of the frame by striking out Austin Romine.

"They jumped on him good and hit the balls hard," Counsell said of the Reds. "[Eleven] pitches into the game, all five batters had reached, and they had three runs on the board."

Alexander settled in after the first, scattering four hits with a trio of strikeouts while working 5 1/3 innings and providing some much-needed length for a bullpen that had to cover eight innings over two games of a doubleheader on Thursday.

"When I gave up those runs in the first inning, I just knew I had to go as deep as I could for the team," Alexander said.

After Aristides Aquino led off the sixth with a double, Alexander retired Senzel on a fly ball to center then handed the ball over to Justin Topa, who provided 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief in his first taste of the big leagues in over a year.

Still, the Brewers' offense just couldn't find a way to get to Reds starter Nick Lodolo. The rookie left-hander breezed through a career-high eight innings, striking out a career-high 11.

Lodolo allowed just two runs by way of Tyrone Taylor's 16th home run of the season in the third. The Brewers put a runner on base just three more times after that against Lodolo.

"He's got a very, very good fastball, and he located it well tonight," Counsell said. "It's a very good fastball from a low release. It just jumps on you, and it's hard to sit in between, because that fastball is so good."

The Brewers began the day on a high note, having swept the Giants in the doubleheader on Thursday to climb within 2 1/2 games of the Phillies for the third and final NL Wild Card spot.

The Phillies, who are a half-game back of the Padres for the second NL Wild Card spot, beat the Nationals on Friday night to restore a 3 1/2-game lead over the Brewers with 23 left to play.

"There’s always time," Andrew McCutchen said of the Brewers' chances. "If the numbers say there’s time, then there’s time. Anything can happen. I’ve seen stranger things happen in September. We’ve just got to shake this one off and take care of business tomorrow."