Errors, Arroyo knock Brewers off lead in NL Central

Reds 8, Brewers 3

MILWAUKEE (AP) -- The Milwaukee Brewers haven't quit -- it just looks that way.

Bronson Arroyo and the Cincinnati Reds knocked slumping and error-prone Milwaukee out of first place in the NL Central, beating the Brewers 8-3 Friday night.

The Brewers (62-60) lost their season-high fifth straight at home, falling a half-game behind the Chicago Cubs (62-59), who beat the St. Louis Cardinals 2-1 Friday afternoon in the opener of their four-game series.

"When you don't win, people always seem to think that you're pressing or doing something just because you're not winning," Prince Fielder said. "As far as for me, I don't see that from none of my teammates."

He said that it's hard to explain the current bad stretch. Milwaukee has lost 14 of its last 19 contests and 11 of 15 in August.

It's the first time the Brewers have been in second since Aug. 2 -- they regained the top spot a day later.

"We're playing hard and we're just not winning," Milwaukee starter Jeff Suppan said.

Arroyo (6-13) gave up nine hits in 7 1/3 innings, including three solo home runs -- two by J.J. Hardy and one by Gabe Gross. He struck out seven and also doubled and scored a run.

"It was one of those days where you get lucky," Arroyo said. "Through seven, it was probably the easiest start I've had all year. They were being really aggressive and I was getting lucky and getting outs."

Arroyo said that in the past, the Brewers had shown patience at the plate. Not in this one.

"Tonight it seemed like everybody top-to-bottom was swinging at one of the first two pitches and putting the ball into play," he said.

Adam Dunn launched a 455-ft drive into the upper deck in right for a two-run homer in the top of the ninth. His 33rd home run gave him 81 RBIs for the season, and was the third consecutive game in which he's gone deep.

Trailing 6-1, Hardy and Gross each homered in the eighth to chase Arroyo. But the rally ended against relievers Bill Bray and Jared Burton, and Dave Weathers pitched a perfect ninth.

The Reds padded a 4-1 lead with two runs in the seventh as the Brewers committed two errors.

Jeff Keppinger singled and advanced on Ken Griffey Jr.'s grounder to third baseman Ryan Braun, who threw the ball wide of second and into right field. Keppinger and Griffey kept on running and both scored when right fielder Gross' throw sailed into foul territory behind third.

Milwaukee had four errors in the game.

Suppan (8-10), the Brewers' $42 million free agent acquisition, is 0-3 in 10 starts since an 11-6 win over Kansas City on June 22. He gave up four runs -- three earned -- and eight hits in 5 2-3 innings.

Brewers starting pitchers are 1-10 over the last 18 games. Rookie right-hander Yovani Gallardo had the lone victory in a 2-1 win Aug. 3 against Philadelphia.

Scott Hatteberg hit a solo shot leading off the sixth. After a one-out single by Edwin Encarnacion and a sacrifice by Arroyo, Brewers manager Ned Yost pulled Suppan and Brian Shouse got Josh Hamilton looking to end the inning.

Keppinger figured in the Reds' first three runs off Suppan.

He reached on shortstop Hardy's fielding error and scored on Brandon Phillips' double in the first inning, then walked and came around to score on Griffey's double into the right-field corner in the third.

In the fifth, center fielder Corey Hart's fielding error on Keppinger's liner up the middle allowed Arroyo, on with a leadoff double, to score.

"I'm happy because he did score," Reds manager Pete Mackanin said of Arroyo. "But it was funny watching him run around the bases."

Hardy made up for his miscue in the third when he hit his 21st homer of the season, trimming the Reds' lead to 2-1.

Game notes
RHP Chris Spurling, designated for assignment when Gross was recalled from Triple-A Nashville, cleared waivers and was outrighted to Nashville. Spurling was 2-1 with a 4.91 ERA in 38 games. ... Keppinger, recalled from Triple-A Louisville on July 7, stole his first base of the season in the first inning. ... Griffey's double in the third extended his hitting streak to six games.