MILWAUKEE (Interstat) — The Milwaukee Brewers used a two-run seventh inning to break a 2-2 tie and defeat the Cincinnati Reds 4-2 Wednesday night at American Family Field, extending their winning streak over Cincinnati to four games and improving to 53-31 on the season.

The Reds, who dropped to 39-46, struck first in the second inning. Tyler Stephenson singled to left field, and Noelvi Marte followed with a line-drive home run to left, his fifth of the season, giving Cincinnati a 2-0 lead. Milwaukee had already tied the game in the bottom of the first.

In the opening frame, Jackson Chourio walked and Brice Turang doubled sharply to right, putting runners at second and third. William Contreras grounded out to second, scoring Chourio, and Jake Bauers lifted a sacrifice fly to left that brought Turang home, tying the game at 2-2.

Both starting pitchers settled in after the early scoring. Reds starter Andrew Abbott worked through five innings, allowing two runs on five hits with four walks and three strikeouts. Brewers starter Shane Drohan was efficient, allowing two runs on six hits over 5 2/3 innings, striking out seven and walking one.

Cincinnati threatened in the fifth when Edwin Arroyo singled and Elly De La Cruz singled to put runners at first and third with one out, but Sal Stewart grounded into a force out to end the inning. The Reds had another chance in the sixth when Spencer Steer walked and Eugenio Suárez doubled, putting runners at second and third with no outs. But Tyler Stephenson grounded into a double play shortstop Cooper Pratt to first baseman Andrew Vaughn to catcher Gary Sánchez to third baseman Joey Ortiz, with Steer thrown out at home. Noelvi Marte then flied out to center to end the threat.

Milwaukee also squandered opportunities, leaving the bases loaded in the second and stranding two runners in the first. The game remained tied until the bottom of the seventh.

With one out, Andrew Vaughn doubled sharply to left off Reds reliever Brock Burke. Garrett Mitchell followed with a triple to center field, driving in Vaughn to give Milwaukee a 3-2 lead. Mitchell’s triple was his third of the season. Gary Sánchez then walked, and Burke was replaced by left-hander Justin Wilson. Sánchez moved to second on a wild pitch, and Cooper Pratt grounded out to second, allowing Sánchez to score from third, making it 4-2.

Burke was charged with the loss, falling to 3-3 on the season. He allowed two runs on two hits over one inning of work, walking one and striking out none. Aaron Ashby, who entered in relief in the seventh, earned the win, improving to 12-1. Ashby retired the only batter he faced in the seventh, then gave way to Abner Uribe, who pitched a perfect eighth inning with one strikeout.

Trevor Megill worked the ninth for his 12th save of the season. Megill allowed a leadoff double to Stephenson, but Marte grounded out to first, moving Stephenson to third, and J.J. Bleday struck out swinging to end the game.

The Brewers finished with eight hits, matching the Reds’ total. Mitchell led Milwaukee with a double and a triple, driving in one run. Turang doubled and scored once. Vaughn had a double and a run. Contreras singled and drove in a run. Chourio walked twice and singled. Pratt, Ortiz, Bauers and Sánchez combined to go 0 for 15, though Bauers had a run batted in on his sacrifice fly.

For Cincinnati, Marte had two hits, including the home run, and drove in two runs. Stephenson had two hits, including a double. Suárez doubled. De La Cruz singled twice. Arroyo singled. The Reds left five runners on base and struck out 12 times.

The Brewers improved to 4-0 against the Reds in the current four-game series, having won 7-2 on Tuesday and 5-3 on Monday, and completing a three-game sweep of Cincinnati at American Family Field. Milwaukee also swept a three-game series in Cincinnati from June 22-24, winning 2-1, 2-0 and 6-5. Overall, the Brewers have won eight of their last nine games and 12 of their last 15.

The Reds have lost four of their last six games and six of their last nine. They fell to 2-5 on their current road trip, which continues Thursday with the finale of the four-game set in Milwaukee.

Attendance was announced at 30,068. The game lasted 2 hours, 49 minutes.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Milwaukee Brewers 6, Cincinnati Reds 4. Interstat’s ELO system gave Milwaukee a 68.10 percent probability to win. Milwaukee was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 1.5 runs. The total score of 6 runs went over the over/under line of 8.