CINCINNATI – Mark Rogers’ second major league start was another success.
Rogers, who’s from Orrs Island and pitched at Mt. Ararat High, allowed two runs in five innings for the Milwaukee Brewers Friday night in a 4-3 extra-inning victory over the Cincinnati Reds.
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Casey McGehee hit a grounder off Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips in the 11th inning to drive in Corey Hart with the winning run, ensuring that Cincinnati will begin the postseason on the road.
With one out and runners on the corners, McGehee hit a bouncer up the middle that caromed off Phillips’ chest and into short center field. Hart scampered home to give Milwaukee a 4-3 lead.
Phillips appeared to be shielded by the second-base umpire for a brief stretch before the ball got to him. It was originally ruled an error but was changed to a hit by the official scorer after the game.
Rogers departed with the Brewers trailing, 2-0. He allowed just two hits and one walk while striking out six. He threw 74 pitches, 43 for strikes.
Cincinnati got a run in the first on a sacrifice fly and one in the fifth on a squeeze bunt.
The NL Central champion Reds needed a win to maintain any hope of finishing the regular season with the second-best record among the league’s three division champions. Now, Cincinnati will open on the road against top-seeded Philadelphia or the winner of the West.
Mike McClendon (2-0) pitched a perfect 10th to get the win and John Axford finished for his 24th save in 27 opportunities. Axford struck out Jonny Gomes with runners on first and second to end the game.
Travis Wood pitched 61/3 innings to bolster his chance of making Cincinnati’s postseason rotation. He allowed three runs and three hits.
Rickie Weeks hit a one-out drive to center in the sixth for Milwaukee’s first hit, cutting Cincinnati’s lead to 2-1. It was Weeks’ 29th homer.
Drew Stubbs tripled and scored on Phillips’ sacrifice fly in the sixth, but the Brewers tied it with two runs in the seventh.
McGehee doubled with one out and Lorenzo Cain followed with a single, moving McGehee to third and chasing Wood. Pinch-hitter Craig Counsell greeted Logan Ondrusek with a run-scoring single and Matt Lucroy added a tying sacrifice fly.
Sam LeCure (2-5) started the 11th for the Reds and allowed both of his batters to reach. It was only his second appearance since Sept. 22.
Gomes singled with one out in the fifth for Cincinnati’s first hit. He stole second, moved to third on Ramon Hernandez’s infield hit and scored on Paul Janish’s suicide-squeeze to give the Reds a 2-0 lead.
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