Jackson Chourio homers as the Brewers beat the Reds 5-4 for their 5th consecutive win

CINCINNATI (AP) — Jackson Chourio hit a tiebreaking solo homer in the ninth inning, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-4 on Saturday night for their fifth consecutive win.

The 20-year-old Chourio had three hits and scored twice as the Brewers reduced their magic number to 16 for clinching the NL Central title.

“We’re not saying we’re more talented than other teams, we’re just finding a way with somebody different every night,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “We’re confident in everybody.”

Chourio hit a one-out drive to right-center off Justin Wilson (1-4) for the rookie's 17th homer.

“All I really had in my mind in that moment was finding a way to get on base, finding a way to help the team," Chourio said through a translator. “I like being in those situations, where you can help the team win.”

Aaron Ashby (1-2) pitched two scoreless innings for the win, and Devin Williams worked a shaky ninth for his eighth save.

Williams issued two walks and hit TJ Friedl with a pitch before first baseman Jake Bauers made a diving stop of Ty France’s hard grounder for the final out. Bauers struck out four times but made the big play at the end.

“He’s got the Sombrero, good thing he didn’t wear it out to the field,” Murphy said. “It shows you, you can strike out four times and still have a huge effect on the game.”

The Brewers also got a big defensive play from center fielder Blake Perkins, who robbed Noelvi Marte of a potential go-ahead homer with a terrific leaping grab for the final out of the sixth.

“I think maybe in the daytime it might be out,” Perkins said. “The first three steps I didn't think I had a chance. I just kept running, it came down and I just tried to make a play on it.”

Milwaukee jumped in front on Willy Adames’ three-run drive off Buck Farmer in the third inning. Adames has five homers in his last seven games and 27 on the season.

Cincinnati rallied against Frankie Montas, who was traded from the Reds to the Brewers on July 30. Spencer Steer hit a two-run single in the fifth and Amed Rosario connected for a tying two-run homer in the sixth.

Montas allowed seven hits in six innings. He struck out four and walked three.

With five Reds starters on the injured list, reliever Fernando Cruz made his second consecutive start. He allowed a hit and struck out five in two innings.

Milwaukee became the third team to reach 80 wins this season, joining the Dodgers and Phillies.

“The Brewers did what they had to do tonight, great plays, great swings, and good pitching,” Reds manager David Bell said. "They’re good.”

TRAINERS ROOM

Brewers: RHP Nick Mears (right forearm inflammation) is expected to resume playing catch when the Brewers return home next week.

Reds: INF/OF Santiago Espinal was out of the lineup after fouling a ball off his left shin in the second game of Friday’s doubleheader. Manager David Bell said there is no fracture and Espinal was available to hit.

UP NEXT

Brewers RHP Tobias Myers (6-5, 2.99 ERA) starts the series finale on Sunday. He has a 2.20 ERA in his past 14 starts. The Reds have not announced a starter.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Milwaukee Brewers' Willy Adames, left, celebrates in the dugout after hitting a three-run home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Milwaukee Brewers' Willy Adames rounds the bases after hitting a three-run home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Milwaukee Brewers' Willy Adames leaps as he rounds the bases after hitting a three-run home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Frankie Montas winds up to throw during the second inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Milwaukee Brewers' Willy Adames hits a three-run home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Three Americans, two Spaniards and a Czech citizen were arrested Saturday after Venezuelan officials accused them of coming to the South American country to assassinate President Nicolas Maduro.

The arrests were announced on state television by Diosdado Cabello, the nation's powerful interior minister. Cabello said the foreign citizens were part of a CIA-led plot to overthrow the Venezuelan government and kill several members of its leadership. In the television program, Cabello showed images of rifles that he said were confiscated from some of the plotters of the alleged plan.

The arrest of the American citizens included a member of the Navy, who Cabello identified as Wilbert Joseph Castañeda Gomez. Cabello said that Gomez was a former navy seal who had served in Afghanistan, Iraq and Colombia. Spain's embassy in Venezuela did not reply to a request for comment on the arrests of its citizens.

The U.S. State Department late Saturday confirmed the detention of a U.S. military member and said it was aware of “unconfirmed reports of two additional U.S. citizens detained in Venezuela.”

“Any claims of U.S. involvement in a plot to overthrow Maduro are categorically false. The United States continues to support a democratic solution to the political crisis in Venezuela,” the statement said.

The announcement of the arrests comes just two days after the U.S. Treasury imposed sanctions on 16 allies of Maduro who were accused by the U.S. government of obstructing voting during the disputed July 28 Venezuelan presidential election, and carrying out human rights abuses.

Earlier this week, Spain's parliament recognized opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez as the winner of the election, angering Maduro allies who called on the Venezuelan government to suspend commercial and diplomatic relations with Spain.

Tensions between Venezuela's government and the U.S. have increased as well following the election, whose result sparked protests within Venezuela in which hundreds of opposition activists were arrested.

Venezuela's Electoral Council, which is closely aligned with the Maduro administration, said Maduro won the election with 52% of the vote, but did not provide a detailed breakdown of the results.

Opposition activists, however, surprised the government by collecting tally sheets from 80% of the nation's voting machines. The tally sheets collected by the opposition were published online, and they indicate that Gonzalez won the election with twice as many votes as Maduro.

Despite international condemnation over the election's lack of transparency, Venezuela's supreme court, which has long backed Maduro, confirmed his victory in August. Venezuela's attorney general then filed conspiracy charges against Gonzalez, who fled to Spain last week after it became clear he would be arrested.

Maduro has dismissed requests from several countries, including the leftist governments of Colombia and Brazil, to provide tally sheets that prove he won the election. Maduro, who has been in power since 2013, has long claimed the U.S. is trying to overthrow him through sanctions and covert operations.

The Maduro administration has previously used Americans imprisoned in Venezuela to gain concessions from the U.S. government. In a deal conducted last year with the Biden administration, Maduro released 10 Americans and a fugitive wanted by the U.S. government to secure a presidential pardon for Alex Saab, a close Maduro ally who was held in Florida on money laundering charges. According to U.S. prosecutors, Saab had also helped Maduro to avoid U.S. Treasury sanctions through a complex network of shell companies.

FILE - Socialist Party President Diosdado Cabello gives his weekly press conference, in Catia La Mar, La Guaira, Venezuela, Aug. 19, 2019. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)

FILE - Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro addresses government loyalists gathered at the presidential palace in support of his reelection one month after the presidential vote, in Caracas, Venezuela, Aug. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)