DaytonDailyNews.com

CINCINNATI — Reds ace Aaron Harang wasn't going to miss this start for anything.

Harang, just back from bereavement leave after the death of his grandfather in San Diego, pitched a gem Monday night against the National League Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers.

"I knew he was out there with me," Harang said of his grandfather, Dusty, who died July 17, a week after turning 88. "He's a huge baseball fan, and he wouldn't have wanted me to miss a start. That's how he was."

The right-handed Harang (10-2, 3.45 ERA) outdueled Milwaukee lefty Chris Capuano, striking out 10 in 10 innings in the Reds' 2-1 victory in front of 23,489 at Great American Ball Park.

Even so, the Reds didn't claim victory until pinch-hitter Javier Valentin singled home pinch-runner Norris Hopper on a bases-loaded line drive to right against Grant Balfour with nobody out in the 12th inning.

"You know when he got some pressure, he's saying, 'I've got to throw a strike,' and then I took advantage of that," Valentin said. "I'm a fastball hitter and the only thing I think about in that situation is trying to make contact."

The Brewers failed to capitalize on a bases-loaded, no-out scenario in the 11th. Valentin's single — after Balfour gave up two walks and a sacrifice bunt — gave Reds reliever Jared Burton his first major-league win.

But Harang should get the credit. He threw 121 pitches, 87 for strikes, and gave up seven hits as the Reds tried to avoid going to their shaky bullpen. After all, last-place Cincinnati had been outscored 30-6 in its previous three games.

"I was getting ahead early," said Harang, who threw first-pitch strikes to 27 of the 37 batters he faced. "And they were swinging early in the counts, too."

Harang became the first Reds pitcher to go 10 innings since Rick Mahler on Aug. 30, 1989 at St. Louis (a 2-0 Reds win in 13 innings).

The last time any pitcher in the majors completed 10 innings was Toronto's Roy Halliday on April 13, 2007, against Detroit. The last National League pitcher to go 10 was St. Louis' Mark Mulder against Houston on April 23, 2005.

Harang's workmanlike effort would have thrilled Dusty — a Navy veteran, bread-truck driver and union enthusiast. Harang called his grandfather a "blue-collar, hard-working guy" who used to umpire baseball games and drive Aaron to Los Angeles for tournaments.

The Reds' David Weathers wiggled out of the 11th by getting a 3-2-3 double play and later a popup. Mike Stanton and Burton (1-1) also kept Milwaukee off the board.

The Reds took a 1-0 lead in the third inning on David Ross' 408-foot home run to center field. The Brewers countered with Ryan Braun's line-drive homer to left in the fourth.

Harang, activated when the Reds sent Ricky Stone to Triple-A Louisville, got better as the game wore on. He retired 17 straight batters after Braun's home run and struck out the side in the seventh inning.

Braun singled with two outs in the ninth to break Harang's streak. Prince Fielder then singled to right but Brewers catcher Johnny Estrada grounded out to Jeff Conine.

Capuano was nearly as good. He allowed seven hits, no walks and threw 74 strikes in his 107 pitches over eight innings.

Despite Valentin's exploits, the show belonged to the Harangs. In recent years, Dusty would wear his grandson's jersey and watch — or follow — every one of Harang's starts. Maybe that didn't change Monday night.

"I know he's there, because he never missed a game," Harang said. "If it wasn't televised on the package, he'd get on the Internet and watch the pitch tracker. He'd find a way to listen and watch my games."

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-6951 or mgokavi@DaytonDailyNews.com.