DeSclafani (4-0) took an inning to settle in. Jonathan Villar greeted him with a single. After Scooter Gennett lined out hard to Billy Hamilton in center, Ryan Braun and All-Star Jonathan Lucroy singled to drive home the first run.
DeSclafani shut the door after that. The right-hander with a 2.23 game-time ERA retired the next 12 Brewers before Ramon Flores singled in the fifth.
The Reds tied the game in the fourth without hitting the ball out of the infield.
Hamilton reached base on an infield single. Votto hit a hard one-hopper to shortstop that Villar back-handed but had no play on Hamilton. He threw Votto out at first. Bruce walked. Duvall hit a one-hop ground ball to Will Middlebrooks deep at third. Middlebrooks threw to second to force Bruce as Hamilton rounded third at full speed. Gennett’s return throw was too late to double up Duvall, who earned an RBI when Hamilton slid home head first.
Hamilton bunted for a single with one out in the seventh and advanced to second when Lucroy’s throw to first was wild. He stole third as Votto struck out and scored on a two-out double by Bruce off Blaine Boyer.
DeSclafani struck out eight as the Reds rallied for his first career win over the Brewers. Raisel Iglesias pitched around a hit, a walk and a Suarez error to post two scoreless innings.
In the ninth, Tony Cingrani gave up a run and loaded the bases before Ross Ohlendorf took over to face Ryan Braun with two outs. Ohlendorf got Braun to pop to Jose Peraza at second base to earn his second save in four tries.
Phillips left the game after the sixth with a strained right calf. He is day-to-day.
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