Jay Bruce homers twice, Reds beat Brewers 7-4 for first 90-win season since 1999

Bruce homers twice, Reds beat Brewers 7-4

CINCINNATI — Jay Bruce hit two more homers, the second one upheld upon review, and the Cincinnati Reds reached 90 wins for the first time since 1999, beating the Milwaukee Brewers 7-4 on Saturday while resting players to get ready for the playoffs.

Bruce clinched the NL Central title on Tuesday with a ninth-inning solo homer. He extended his final-week tear with a two-run shot off left-hander Chris Capuano and a solo homer that was reviewed for possible fan interference.

Corky Miller hit a two-run homer off Todd Coffey (2-4) in the seventh, when the Reds broke open a tied game.

Manager Dusty Baker replaced six starters after five innings and gave Joey Votto and Scott Rolen a day off to rest for Cincinnati’s first playoff appearance in 15 years.

Cincinnati is having its best season since 1999, when it won 96 games but failed to make the postseason. The Reds lost a a one-game playoff for the NL wild card to the Mets.

Logan Ondrusek (5-0) escaped a threat in the seventh, after Milwaukee tied it at 4 on Casey McGehee’s three-run homer off Jordan Smith. Francisco Cordero pitched the ninth for his 39th save in 47 tries.

The Reds will open the playoffs on the road next week, against either Philadelphia or the NL West champion. Baker expects to announce his three-man rotation and most of the playoff roster on Sunday.

Reds starter Homer Bailey struck out a career-high 10 in five innings, needing 120 pitches to get that far. The Brewers loaded the bases in the fifth with one out, but Bailey fanned McGehee and got Lorenzo Cain looking to end the threat and his performance.

Bruce has worked on hitting left-handers this season. Ten of his 24 homers have come against lefties. He also homered off Astros left-hander Tim Byrdak for the division-clincher on Tuesday.

His solo shot in the fifth off Brandon Kintzler led to a 2-minute, 35-second review. Brewers manager Ken Macha contended a fan interfered with Cain as he tried to make the catch at the top of the wall in center. Crew chief Tim Welke upheld the homer.

The 32-year-old Capuano is one of six Brewers eligible for free agency. He missed most of last season recovering from reconstructive elbow surgery, and has gone 4-4 in nine starts and 15 relief appearances. He allowed 10 hits and three runs in only 3 2-3 innings on Saturday.

NOTES: Prince Fielder walked twice, padding his Brewers-record total to 113. … Corey Hart went 0 for 5 and struck out four times, ending his hitting streak at 16 games. … Bailey singled in the second inning, then donned a hooded Reds sweatshirt to run the bases. It was 62 degrees at the first pitch, and a steady ran began in the bottom of the fourth inning. … It was Bruce’s 10th career multihomer home, his fifth this season.