Reds enjoy walking in Miller Park; Harang pitches complete game

By Hal McCoy

Staff Writer

MILWAUKEE | On Sunday, the name of the city was Mil-walk-ee as long as the Brewers had left-hander Doug Davis throwing the baseball in the general vicinity of central Wisconsin.

He tied a franchise record with nine walks — in only five innings — aiding and abetting the Cincinnati Reds toward an 11-0 victory in Miller Park.

Aaron Harang, working on one day of rest less than usual, witnessed what happened to Davis and pumped strikes at the Brewers, walking only one unintentionally while giving up five hits during a complete game.

Only one Brewer baserunner discovered third base and Harang pitched the team's ninth quality-start game of the 19 played — his second to go with three by Bronson Arroyo, two by Eric Milton, one by Brandon Claussen and one by Dave Williams.

When last seen — but not for long — Harang was giving up five runs and nine hits to the Florida Marlins over just four innings last Wednesday. Because he threw only 85 pitches that night, he was available to move his scheduled start up one day from Monday to Sunday, replacing surgery-bound Eric Milton.

He didn't hit 85 pitches until the middle of the seventh inning Sunday and the Brewers weren't hitting him at all.

"We'd all like to see our pitchers go out every day like the White Sox have done the last six games, but it is not going to happen here," said manager Jerry Narron. "We know Brandon Claussen is better than Saturday (four home runs in one inning in an 11-0 loss). We do know that when Arroyo and Harang go out there, we're generally going to get a good game.

"We just need everybody to step it up now that Milton is out," said Narron.

"When we asked Harang Saturday about pitching today he didn't hesitate," Narron added. "He had no problems with it."

It was the Brewers who had the problems, as they always do against him in Miller Park, where he is 3-0 with a 1.50 ERA in three career starts.

Asked if he might consider using Harang on three days of rest permanently, Narron said, "Maybe two. No, not really. In fact we might move him back one day for his start at home against Houston."

Harang said it was nothing to call Cooperstown about, but he was, indeed, anxious to climb the mound quickly after Wednesday's washout.

"Just one of those things and it's why this game is so weird," he said. "One game you might not have it and the next time it's there. I was a little anxious to get back out there, mainly because I felt so good working this week in the bullpen and on the side."

Austin Kearns had an eventful afternoon of driving in runs, a single after Davis walked two in the first, a bases-loaded walk after Davis walked the three guys in front of him in the third and a hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded in the sixth.

The Reds had only three runs and three hits off Davis, despite the nine walks. But once he, uh, walked off the mound, the Reds scored five off Justin Lehr in the sixth, getting a three-run double from Edwin Encarnacion and a run-scoring single by Brandon Phillips.

Phillips had three hits, including a home run, extending his hitting streak to seven games, during which he has four doubles, three homers, 17 RBIs, five runs scored and a permanent address at second base.

"Seventeen RBIs in one week? That's some week," said Narron. That's some month. "I don't know if I've seen that before and he should be Player of the Week."

Phillips was as low-key about his 17 RBIs this week as Harang was about his second career shutout.

"Hasn't kicked in yet," he said. "Seventeen RBIs in a week? Hey, it's only the first month with a long way to go. I'm just pleased to be able to help the team win. The goal is to make the playoffs."

Before the game, 3,000 people passed outside the stadium participating in a walk-a-thon, then Brewers pitchers tried to walk 3,000 Reds hitters. In all, the Reds received 13 walks and were hit by pitches three times.

The Reds took three of four in Milwaukee and shift venues to Washington, D.C. for a game tonight against the Nationals, the first of three.