Cincinnati ? Moments after his first major-league victory was clinched, left-hander Zach Jackson met the two dozen relatives who drove in from Pittsburgh and presented them with two game-used baseballs.

See, they didn’t all wind up in the stands.

The 23-year-old rookie gave up four homers and was facing his first big-league loss Monday night when the Milwaukee Brewers rallied for a 6-5 victory over the slumping Cincinnati Reds. Prince Fielder hit a tying homer in the eighth, and Rickie Weeks followed with a go-ahead single.

Quite a way to get that first win.

“That’s the kind of pitcher I am,” said Jackson, who challenged the NL’s more homer-reliant lineup. “I’d rather make them earn it. If that’s what happens, I give up a couple of runs, so be it.”

The comeback was stirring for the Brewers – only their fifth win in the last 16 games – but the rookie’s start was the most encouraging. Milwaukee’s downturn is directly tied to its depleted pitching staff.

Since Ben Sheets and Tomo Ohka went on the disabled list in early May, their replacements have gone 2-11. And one of those wins now belongs to Jackson (1-0), who has clearly been the best of the backup bunch in two starts.

“He did a nice job,” manager Ned Yost said. “The home runs obviously hurt him, but he was on the attack. He got us through seven. We haven’t had that luxury with the pitchers we’ve been trying to fill in those spots with, and he’s done it twice.”

The Brewers took advantage of Cincinnati’s short-handed bullpen and sent the Reds to their fourth straight loss. Fielder led off the eighth with a homer off Kent Mercker (0-1) on a 1-2 pitch, tying it at 5.

“That’s just a game we should have won right there,” Mercker said. “I have no excuses. I’ve been through this before. When it goes bad, it goes bad. I throw one bad pitch, and it’s a home run. When you’re going good, that same pitch is popped up.”

After Brady Clark singled with two outs and pinch-hitter Jeff Cirillo worked the count full before drawing a walk, Weeks lined a run-scoring single off closer Todd Coffey, brought into the game earlier than usual because of the injury-thinned bullpen.

Once the Brewers got the lead, left-hander Brian Shouse pitched a perfect eighth and Derrick Turnbow got the last three outs for his 18th save in 22 chances.

Jackson learned the hard way that it’s a losing proposition to leave pitches over the plate at Great American Ball Park, one of the majors’ most homer-friendly fields. The Brewers hadn’t allowed four homers in any game all season.

Rockies 4, Nationals 3

Washington – Jeff Francis pitched effectively into the seventh inning and J.D. Closser drove in the go-ahead run with a broken-bat single to help the Rockies beat the Nationals.

Former Nationals infielder Jamey Carroll, making his return to RFK Stadium, had three hits and an RBI for the Rockies and Clint Barmes added a run-scoring triple as the Rockies handed Nationals starter Ramon Ortiz his first loss in a month.

Jose Guillen hit a solo home run for the Nationals.