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First Posted: 7/9/2013 (AP) Carlos Gomez robbed Joey Votto of a potential go-ahead homer with a spectacular catch in center field in the ninth inning, saving the Milwaukee Brewers' 4-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday night.
Jonathan Lucroy homered for the third consecutive game for last-place Milwaukee, which had dropped three of four. Jean Segura had three hits off Homer Bailey in the right-hander's first start since his second career no-hitter.
But Gomez made the biggest play of the game when he made a perfectly timed jump to grab Votto's drive to center for the final out of the game, sending a charge through the crowd on an otherwise sleepy night at Miller Park.
Kyle Lohse (5-6) pitched into the seventh inning for his fourth consecutive winning decision.
Bailey was coming off an absolute gem at home against San Francisco last Tuesday night, when he struck out nine and allowed just one baserunner on a seventh-inning walk. The impressive performance in the Reds' 3-0 victory gave Bailey a chance to become the second pitcher in major league history to throw consecutive no-hitters.
That opening was slammed shut in the first inning.
Segura dumped a 1-2 pitch into right field for a base hit with one out. He then stole second and went to third on a throwing error by catcher Devin Mesoraco before Lucroy hit his 11th homer to give the Brewers a 2-1 lead.
Segura added an RBI double in the second and an infield hit in the fifth. The All-Star shortstop reached base four times and leads the NL with 113 hits.
Chris Heisey hit a solo homer for Cincinnati, which has lost three of four since taking three in a row against the Giants. Jay Bruce and pinch hitter Xavier Paul each had an RBI single.
Bailey (5-7) allowed at least one run in each of the first three innings and failed to retire the Brewers in order in any frame. He issued a costly walk to Lohse in the second, and the pitcher scored from second on Segura's two-out double.
Bailey was replaced by Logan Ondrusek after he hit Segura with a pitch with two out in the sixth. The right-hander allowed a season-high 10 hits and walked three.
Lohse was pulled after he allowed singles to three of the first four batters in the seventh. Heisey was erased when Mesoraco grounded into a double play, but pinch hitter Cesar Izturis and Shin-Soo Choo singled to put runners on the corners.
John Axford came in and surrendered Paul's run-scoring hit to make it 4-3, but he bounced back to strike out Votto, limiting the damage.
Lohse was charged with three runs and nine hits. The righty improved to 4-0 with a 2.37 ERA in his last eight starts.
Jim Henderson worked the eighth and Francisco Rodriguez finished for his ninth save in nine chances and No. 303 for his career, tying Doug Jones for 22nd on the major league list.
Milwaukee got Ryan Braun back from the disabled list, but he did not play in the Brewers' second win in seven games against Cincinnati this season. Braun, who had been out with a bruised right thumb, took batting practice for the second straight day and could return to the lineup on Tuesday.
While the 2011 NL MVP returned to the active roster, third baseman Aramis Ramirez went back on the DL again with a nagging left knee injury.
Mesoraco got the start behind the plate for Cincy after manager Dusty Baker said Ryan Hanigan was dealing with soreness, declining to elaborate. But Mesoraco has a back issue and appeared to be playing hurt, grounding out with runners on first and second to end the eighth.
NOTES: Johnny Vander Meer remains the only pitcher to throw consecutive no-hitters, accomplishing the feat for the Reds on June 11 and June 15 in 1938. ... Paul had been sidelined with a sore right shoulder. Baker said before the game that he could return to the lineup on Wednesday. ... Brewers RHP Wily Peralta (5-9, 5.27 ERA) is scheduled to face LHP Tony Cingrani (3-0, 3.40 ERA) in the middle game of the series on Tuesday. Peralta was forced to leave his last outing in the sixth inning last Tuesday night at Washington due to a strained left hamstring. "It's all going to be dictated on what's happening," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. "If he feels something, then, obviously, we'll address that. As far as pitches and things, there's no restrictions." ... The Miller Park roof was open at the start of the game, but it was closed during the second inning. It was opened again in the fourth. ... NASCAR driver Matt Kenseth, a Wisconsin native, threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
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Jay Cohen can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/jcohenap
<a title="Associated Press" href="http://www.ap.org" class="url org fn">Associated Press</a>

Gomez's catch preserves Brewers' 4-3 win over Reds