CINCINNATI (AP) — Christian Yelich and Blake Perkins each drove in three runs, helping Joe Ross and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Cincinnati Reds 9-5 on Tuesday night.

Perkins and Sal Frelick each had three of Milwaukee’s 13 hits. Jake Bauers had two RBIs.

Ross (1-0) earned his first big league win since June 29, 2021, for Washington against Tampa Bay. The 30-year-old right-hander allowed three runs, two earned, and five hits in 6 1/3 innings in his second start of the season.

Ross had his second Tommy John surgery in June 2022. He finalized a $1.75 million, one-year contract with the Brewers in December.

Tyler Stephenson had two hits and two RBIs for Cincinnati, which beat Milwaukee 10-8 on Monday night in the opener of the four-game series. Spencer Steer, Jake Fraley and Christian Encarnacion-Strand also had two hits apiece.

Reds starter Frankie Montas (2-1) went five innings, allowing three earned runs and six hits.

Yelich hit an RBI single in Milwaukee’s three-run third inning. He also had a two-run double in the fifth.

Perkins’ two-run single put the Brewers in front in the third. He singled in Frelick in the sixth to lift Milwaukee to a 6-1 lead.

Cincinnati closed to 9-3 on Stephenson’s two-run double in the seventh. Steer doubled in Fraley during a two-run eighth.

The Reds put two runners on in the ninth, but Abner Uribe struck out Will Benson, Encarnacion-Strand and Jeimer Candelario to end the game.

WORTH NOTING

Milwaukee pitcher Aaron Ashby, who struggled in the series opener, was optioned to Triple-A Nashville, and right-hander Kevin Herget was promoted.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Brewers: RHP Devin Williams (back) was transferred to the 60-day injured list.

Reds: OF TJ Friedl (right wrist) will get an MRI on Friday to assess his progress. … RHP Ian Gibaut (right forearm strain) is scheduled for another rehab appearance Wednesday, this time at Triple-A Louisville.

UP NEXT

Brewers lefty Wade Miley makes his first start of the season on Wednesday against Reds right-hander Hunter Green (0-0, 2.53 ERA).