LOS ANGELES — Ryan Braun crushed a grand slam as the Milwaukee Brewers won their sixth straight game with a 9-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds to clinch a playoff berth for the second straight season.

Eric Thames and Keston Hiura both hit home runs for the red-hot Brewers, who scored six runs in the first inning.

Pitcher Jordan Lyles improved to 12-8 on the season as he allowed two runs over five solid innings.

Milwaukee has won six in a row and 17 of its past 19 games.

The Brewers, who are guaranteed at least a wild-card spot, moved within 1 1/2 games of first-place St. Louis in the National League Central and remained one game behind Washington for the top NL wild card.

The Cardinals lost 9-7 to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday while the Nationals beat the Philadelphia Phillies 5-2.

Reds slugger Eugenio Suarez belted his 49th homer of the season to set a record for the most home runs by a National League third baseman.

The shot vaulted Suarez past Mike Schmidt (1980) and matched by Adrian Beltre (2004).

He moved within three of the major league record for a third baseman, set by Alex Rodriguez in 2007. Rodriguez was suspended for the entire 2014 season for using steroids.

Suarez's homer, his ninth versus Milwaukee this season, was the franchise-record-tying 222nd of the season for the Reds.

Braun, who belted a solo shot in the Brewers' 4-2 win at Cincinnati on Tuesday, hit a 1-1 pitch from Tyler Mahle into the bleachers to give Milwaukee a 4-0 lead in the first inning on Wednesday.

Braun's 22nd home run was the 28th of his career at Great American Ball Park. — AFP