Adames homers twice as Brewers pound lowly Reds 10-5

MILWAUKEE — Willy Adames hit two of Milwaukee’s six homers, and the Brewers beat the lowly Cincinnati Reds 10-5 on Thursday.

Luis Urias, Christian Yelich, Tyrone Taylor and Keston Hiura also connected as Milwaukee won for the eighth time in nine games. Yelich finished with three hits and scored three times, and Adames had four RBIs.

Brewers right-hander Adrian Houser (3-2) allowed five runs, four earned, and seven hits in five innings.

Cincinnati closed out a winless six-game trip with its ninth consecutive loss. The major league-worst Reds have dropped 20 of 21 overall.

Tyler Stephenson homered and drove in two runs, but Cincinnati was unable to overcome another shaky performance by hard-throwing rookie Hunter Greene (1-4).

Urias and Yelich connected against Greene in the first, and Rowdy Tellez‘s RBI double tied it at 3. Adames capped Milwaukee’s three-run second with a two-run drive to left-center.

Taylor and Hiura went deep in the third before Greene was replaced by Luis Cessa.

The 22-year-old Greene was tagged for eight runs and nine hits in 2 2/3 innings in his fourth consecutive loss. He struck out seven and walked one.

TRAINER’S ROOM

After placing two players on the injured list Wednesday with unspecified designations, Reds manager David Bell is confident the team can avoid a full-blown COVID-19 outbreak. But he recognizes that it’s not always easy despite comprehensive mitigation efforts.

“Obviously, it’s something that’s really important to us to keep everyone healthy as best as we can,” Bell said. “But the reality is we’re all together a lot; we have contact with lots of different people, just like everyone else but we’re doing the best that we can.”

Cincinnati also placed first baseman Joey Votto on the COVID-19 IL earlier this week.

UP NEXT

Reds: RHP Connor Overton (0-0, 1.69 ERA) makes his second start of the season Friday in the opener of a three-game series against Pittsburgh. RHP JT Brubaker (0-2, 6.20) starts for the visiting Pirates.

Brewers: LHP Eric Lauer (2-0, 1.93 ERA) starts Friday night at Atlanta in the opener of a nine-game trip. The Braves, who beat the Brewers in their NL Division Series last year, have yet to announce a starter for the series opener.

LOS ANGELES — Giancarlo Stanton, Josh Donaldson, and Tommy Kahnle were activated by the New York Yankees ahead of their weekend series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

New York cleared three roster spots after a 1-0 loss at Seattle, optioning infielder-outfielders Oswaldo Cabrera and Franchy Cordero to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre along with left-hander Matt Krook.

Stanton, Donaldson and Kahnle all played in a rehab game for Double-A Somerset. Stanton was hitless in three at-bats in his first appearance since injuring his left hamstring on April 15.

Donaldson went 1 for 4 in his fourth rehab game as he comes back from a strained right hamstring originally sustained on April 5.

Kahnle pitched one inning, giving up one run and one hit and walking two. He has been out since spring training with right biceps tendinitis.

Aaron Boone said he wasn’t concerned about Stanton returning after playing in just one rehab game. He did say that Stanton likely will be a designated hitter for a couple of weeks after rejoining the Yankees.

New York is missing centerfielder Harrison Bader, who strained his right hamstring against the Mariners and went on the injured list the next day.

Left-hander Carlos Rodón, sidelined since spring training by a sore left forearm and an ailing back, was transferred to the 60-day injured list.