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Rookie Spencer Steer opened the bottom of the eighth inning with a tiebreaking homer and the Cincinnati Reds beat the visiting Milwaukee Brewers 2-1 Sunday afternoon to avoid a four-game sweep.

The Reds (60-93), who are trying to avoid their first 100-loss season since 1982, won for the fourth time in their past 17 games thanks to Steer’s second career homer.

Steer snapped a 1-1 deadlock by hitting a 1-2 95-mph fastball from Matt Bush (2-3), who allowed his fifth homer since Milwaukee obtained him from the Texas Rangers.

Steer’s homer snapped Milwaukee’s four-game winning streak. Milwaukee (82-71) is 1 1/2 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies for the third National League wild-card spot.

Hunter Renfroe homered in the second, but the Brewers did little offensively.

Cincinnati scored the tying run by piecing together a rally in the fourth.

Stuart Fairchild led off with a single against Aaron Ashby. Fairchild was forced on a grounder by Alejo Lopez before Ashby walked Aristides Aquino and Matt Reynolds to load the bases and plunked Austin Romine to force home Lopez.

Cincinnati rookie Nick Lodolo allowed one run and four hits in six innings. He struck out six and walked one before three relievers followed.

Derek Law allowed a hit in the seventh, Buck Farmer (2-1) worked a 1-2-3 eighth and Alexis Diaz struck out Willy Adames, Christian Yelich and Renfroe in a perfect ninth for his ninth save.

Brewers starter Freddy Peralta, who was activated from the injured list prior to Sunday’s game, allowed two hits and walked one while striking out three over two innings. Peralta hadn’t started since Sept. 8 due to left shoulder stiffness.

Ashby and three other relievers followed before Bush allowed Steer’s homer

After Renfroe blasted the first pitch of the second over the center field seats for his 28th homer, Keston Hiura doubled but was called out when the ball hit him as Tyrone Taylor hit an infield single.

–Field Level Media