McGehee’s grounder off Phillips gives Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 win over Cincinnati Reds

McGehee’s hit gives Brewers 4-3 win over Reds

CINCINNATI — Casey McGehee hit a grounder off Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips in the 11th inning, driving in Corey Hart and sending the Milwaukee Brewers to a 4-3 victory Friday night that ensured 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, who won the Gold Glove award in 2008, 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.

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 6 1-3 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.

Mark Rogers pitched five innings for Milwaukee, yielding two runs and two hits. He also struck out six and walked none.

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 bunt to give the Reds a 2-0 lead.

The Reds grabbed the lead in the first, manufacturing the first run allowed by Rogers in six innings over four appearances since being promoted from Double-A Huntsville on Sept. 10. Stubbs drew a leadoff walk, stole second and moved to third on Phillips’ groundout before Joey Votto hit a sacrifice fly.

NOTES: The Reds might send some players who don’t make the division series roster to Arizona to stay sharp in case they’re needed to replace injured players or for subsequent series, manager Dusty Baker said before Friday’s game. … Weeks was hit by a pitch for the 25th time, tying Fernando Vina for the single-season franchise record. Vina set the record in 1998. … Prince Fielder’s fourth-inning walk for Milwaukee was his 111th of the season, breaking the franchise record he set in 2009 … The Reds are 5,204 fans short of reaching two million in paid attendance for the 22nd time in franchise history and second in the last three seasons. They topped two million in 2008.