Sep 6, 2026 · 38 min
Rain delay exposes Brewers’ bullpen and contact problems
After lengthy rain delay, Brewers 9th inning rally falls short in 5-3 loss to Reds
Milwaukee’s loss shows how weather, limited pitching depth and missed late opportunities can reshape a game that began with promise.
- 1Dustin May’s strong start ended abruptly, leaving Milwaukee’s bullpen vulnerable through a long, stop-start game.
- 2Cincinnati turned three solo home runs and inside-pitch execution into a decisive advantage at Great American Ball Park.
- 3The Brewers created a ninth-inning chance but failed to convert, including a debated decision not to pinch-run for Gary Sánchez.
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Milwaukee loads the bases in the ninth inning but cannot complete the rally after Cincinnati survives the weather-disrupted game.
The brief
Milwaukee lost 5-3 after a 2-hour, 22-minute rain delay disrupted Dustin May’s promising start and forced the Brewers to manage a strained bullpen.
Jerry Augustine and Dominic Catronio focus on Milwaukee’s contact problems, Jackson Chourio’s abbreviated at-bats and Cincinnati’s success attacking the inside part of the plate.
The Reds built their lead with three solo homers, while Great American Ball Park rewarded an air-oriented approach that contrasted with Milwaukee’s patient, low-power identity.
Pat Murphy explains the ninth-inning pinch-running decision, the travel and weather complications, and why repeated short starts have taxed Milwaukee’s pitching staff.
Kyle Harrison’s mechanical reset becomes a secondary concern: Augustine points to pitch tipping, posture and arm angle while urging an up-tempo, hitter-by-hitter focus.
The standout sequence is Milwaukee’s bases-loaded ninth-inning rally, which threatened to erase Cincinnati’s lead but ultimately fell short after the earlier delays and missed chances.