Brewers Beat Reds 5-2

MILWAUKEE - Carlos Villanueva pitched seven scoreless innings and Joe Dillon drove in a career-high four runs, leading the Milwaukee Brewers to a 5-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday.

Milwaukee, which scored all its runs with two outs, has won 10 of 15. The Brewers remained one game behind first-place Chicago in the NL Central after the Cubs beat St. Louis 4-2.

Villanueva (8-4) was not spectacular, but kept getting out of trouble early and stuck around for his longest appearance this season. He scattered six hits, walked three and struck out four to help the Brewers (76-72) surpass their win total from last year.

Just like Saturday night, Cincinnati had ample opportunities early. The Reds had runners in scoring position in the first, third and fourth, but couldn't score until rallying against Milwaukee's bullpen in the eighth.

Cincinnati put two on against Matt Wise, who was pulled for Brian Shouse. Adam Dunn had an RBI groundout and Edwin Encarnacion hit a run-scoring single.

Shouse was lifted for closer Francisco Cordero, who struck out pinch-hitter Jorge Cantu to end the inning. Cordero also fanned three in the ninth, getting four outs for the second consecutive day and earning his 43rd save.

Dillon took advantage of his chances, doubling his RBI total this season to eight.

The 32-year-old journeyman, who quit baseball in 2003 and had one major league stint with Florida in 2005, started for slumping outfielder Geoff Jenkins and batted third in front of Prince Fielder.

With two outs in the third inning, Dillon, who has played in 54 career games, made the lineup switch by Brewers manager Ned Yost pay off. After Reds starter Matt Belisle (8-9) walked Rickie Weeks and allowed a single to Craig Counsell, Dillon doubled to right field to make it 2-0.

Dillon, who batted .317 with 20 homers in 93 games at Triple-A Nashville after playing in Japan last season, hit his second two-run double with two outs in the fifth when he blooped the ball down the right-field line out of Ken Griffey Jr.'s reach to give the Brewers a 4-0 lead.

Fielder, who homered in the first two games of the series to set the Brewers' season mark at 46, singled in Dillon to extend his career-best hitting streak to 14 games. Fielder is hitting .408 with seven homers and 13 RBIs in September.

Belisle struck out his first five batters, using a big curveball and a 95 mph fastball as shadows crept across the field. Belisle allowed a walk to the next batter, then struck out Johnny Estrada for six Ks through two.

Belisle added two strikeouts in the fourth and another in the sixth to finish with nine, tying his career high. He allowed six hits and two walks.

Notes:@ Brewers OF Corey Hart and Reds 2B Brandon Phillips are the first two players to have at least 20 home runs, 20 steals and a 20-game hitting streak in the same season since Vladimir Guerrero did it for the Expos in 2002. ... Brewers 3B Ryan Braun, struggling at the plate recently, got the day off.