Brewers spoil Drew Rasmussen reunion game with Rays

Christian Yelich went 2-for-4, with a home run and two runs scored, and the Milwaukee Brewers snapped a three-game losing streak with a 4-2 win against the host Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday.Reliever Ty

Brewers spoil Drew Rasmussen reunion game with Rays

Christian Yelich went 2-for-4, with a home run and two runs scored, and the Milwaukee Brewers snapped a three-game losing streak with a 4-2 win against the host Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday.

Reliever Tyler Alexander (2-3) was perfect through 1 2/3 innings to earn the win. Closer Trevor Megill did the same in the ninth for the save.

Rays starting pitcher Drew Rasmussen (1-4) gave up three runs on four hits, including two homers, in five innings in his first appearance against his former team. The Rays had won two straight.

After Tampa Bay tied it in the fourth, the Brewers went ahead 3-2 in the fifth. Jake Bauers drew a lead-off walk, advanced to third on Joey Ortiz’s single, and scored on a Caleb Durbin ground-out.

In the eighth, Yelich led off with a single and stole second with William Contreras at the plate. He scored to make it 4-2 when Rhys Hoskins connected for a ground-ball single to left.

Milwaukee had just one baserunner through the first three innings, a single from Bauers in the third. Down by one entering the fourth, they connected on back-to-back home runs to grab the lead.

With one out, Yelich sent a cutter into the left field deck to tie it 1-1 and Contreras followed, launching a sinker 107.9 miles per hour off his bat to right-center to make it 2-1.

The Rays pulled even in the bottom half. Jonathan Aranda and Kameron Misner each singled, with Aranda getting to third on Misner’s hit. Aranda, who went 3-for-4, then scored on Jose Caballero’s sacrifice fly, tying it 2-2.

They had a chance to go ahead with Travis Jankowski knocking a one-out double off the right-field wall that moved Misner to third, but Brewers starter Chad Patrick recovered to retire the side.

Tampa Bay took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Simpson led off with a double to center and then, with two out, Aranda put a single into left to drive in Simpson.

Patrick gave up two runs on six hits and struck out four in 4 1/3 innings.