Griffey Jr. gets first homer, but Brewers beat Reds, 6-5

The home run was the 502nd of his career, but Cincinnati blew a 5-1 lead.
MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Ken Griffey Jr. hit his first home run this season, No. 502 of his career, but the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Cincinnati Reds 6-5 Saturday on Damian Miller's game-winning single in the ninth inning.
Sean Casey also homered for the Reds, who led 5-1 in the seventh before the Brewers rallied on Junior Spivey's two-run single and Russell Branyan's two-run double.
Griffey connected for a two-run shot off reliever Victor Santos in the fourth inning, ending his longest drought to start a season. Griffey did not homer in his first 21 games and 79 at-bats this year.
First homer since last July
It was Griffey's first home run since last July 8, also in Milwaukee. That one came against Wes Obermueller, who started for the Brewers on Saturday.
Griffey, who tore his hamstring off the bone last August, also failed to hit a homer in 48 at-bats during spring training.
He sent a 3-1 pitch from Santos just over the center-field wall at Miller Park, which measures 400 feet. The home run was estimated to travel 401 feet, giving Cincinnati a 4-1 lead.
Derrick Turnbow (1-1) got two outs for the win, escaping a bases-loaded jam in the ninth when Rich Aurilia flied out.
Carlos Lee opened the bottom half with a single off Joe Valentine (0-1) and Lyle Overbay walked. Valentine's error on Chris Magruder's sacrifice loaded the bases with none out. After Branyan flied out to shallow right, Miller singled over Ryan Freel's head in right to win it.
CINCINNATIMILWAUKEE
abrhbiabrhbi
Freel 2b3200BClark cf4010
Grf Jr. cf5112BHall ss5121
Casey 1b4112Jenkins rf4100
Kearns rf3010Turnbw p0000
RWgnr p0000CaLee lf5110
Merckr p0000Ovrbay 1b3110
JaCruz ph1010Spivey 2b3122
Vlntine p0000Bttlco p0000
Dunn lf4000Mgrder rf0000
Randa 3b3010Brnyan 3b2012
Aurilia ss4010Moeller c2100
LaRue c4010DMiller c2011
PWilsn p3110Obrmlr p1000
FLopez 2b1000VSants p0000
Helms ph1000
JuSntna p0000
Cirillo ph1000
la rosa p0000
Hardy ss1000
Totals35584Totals34696
Cincinnati101200100--5
Milwaukee001000401--6
One out when winning run scored.
E--Valentine (1). LOB--Cincinnati 11, Milwaukee 13. 2B--Kearns (3), Overbay (6), Branyan (3). HR--Griffey Jr. (1), Casey (1). SB--Freel 3 (5). S--Magruder.
IPHRERBBSO
Cincinnati
PWilson631163
RWagner134421
Mercker110001
Valentine L,0-11-321110
Milwaukee
Obermueller3 1-353335
VSantos1 2-311102
JuSantana100002
de la rosa1 1-301132
Bottalico120011
Turnbow W,1-12-300010
WP-de la rosa 2, Turnbow. Umpires-Home, Jerry Meals; First, Bruce Froemming; Second, Hunter Wendelstedt; Third, Mike Winters. T-3:18. A-23,880.