Brewers 5, Reds 2: Wily Peralta threw seven strong innings and Ryan Braun drove home a pair as host Milwaukee got a rare win against Cincinnati to open a three-game set between National League Central rivals.

Peralta (11-6) was dominant for the second time in as many starts, yielding one run on three hits while striking out five after posting the same line against the St. Louis Cardinals in his final outing before the All-Star break. Carlos Gomez and Jean Segura scored twice for the Brewers, who won for only the fourth time in 17 games and improved to 4-7 this season against the Reds.

Billy Hamilton homered in the sixth inning and Kristopher Negron added a pinch-hit solo shot in the eighth off reliever Will Smith, but that was all the offense the Reds could muster as they matched a season high with their fourth straight setback. Mat Latos (2-2) surrendered five runs (four earned) over seven innings and continued to receive minimal help from his offense, which has scored a total of eight runs for him in six all-time outings in Milwaukee.

Latos allowed his unearned run in the third as Segura led off with a triple to right-center and came across to score on the same play when Ramon Santiago’s relay throw from shallow center hit Segura in the foot and rolled into the dugout. Peralta and Gomez followed Segura with singles ahead of Braun, who pushed across both runners with a line-drive double that sailed over Chris Heisey’s head in left.

The Brewers tacked on two more insurance runs one inning later as Segura singled and scored on a ground-rule double from Gomez, who stole third and came across moments when Reds first baseman Donald Lutz was unable to cleanly field Scooter Gennett’s hard-hit grounder. Francisco Rodriguez relieved Smith and tossed a perfect ninth for his 29th save.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Cincinnati manager Bryan Price was ejected in the top of the sixth for arguing a check-swing call from home plate umpire David Rackley on a strikeout of C Devin Mesoraco. … Braun, who entered Monday 2-for-20 in his career against Latos, went 2-for-4 against the right-hander and is batting .400 during a nine-game hitting streak. … The Reds have scored eight runs and struck out 39 times – including eight on Monday – during their skid.