Griffey ends homer drought

MILWAUKEE – Ken Griffey Jr. found his home run swing. The Milwaukee Brewers found a way to win.

Griffey hit his first homer this season, No. 502 of his career, but the Brewers beat the Cincinnati Reds 6-5 Saturday on Damian Miller’s game-winning single in the ninth inning.

Milwaukee rallied from a four-run deficit for its third consecutive victory, matching a season high set by winning the first three games of the year.

“It’s a fun clubhouse right now,” Miller said.

Sean Casey also connected 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, ending his longest drought to start a season. Griffey did not homer in his first 21 games and 79 at-bats this year.

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.

“I think you guys make more out of it than me,” Griffey said. “I haven’t done anything different. I just went down and got one today.”

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 homer was estimated at 401 feet, giving Cincinnati a 4-1 lead.

It was not the longest homer drought of Griffey’s career. He went 101 at-bats without one from May 22 to June 20, 1990, with Seattle.

“It was bound to happen,” Reds manager Dave Miley said. “Hopefully, it will add up.”

Derrick Turnbow (1-1) got two outs for the win, escaping a bases-loaded jam in the ninth when Rich Aurilia flied out.