MILWAUKEE -- Homer Bailey looked very little like a pitcher making just his third start since returning from Tommy John surgery Friday night at Milwaukee.

Bailey struck out 11, one off his career-high, and scattered three hits and a walk over six scoreless innings of work while the Cincinnati Reds' offense exploded for for 12 hits in a 7-4 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park.

"Anything that happens this year is really understandable -- the good, the bad and everything in-between," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "But I don't expect him to look like that every time he goes out there and takes the mound."

Bailey was tagged for five runs in three innings of work his last time out but faced just one batter over the minimum through his first four innings Friday. He ran into a bit of trouble in the fifth, putting two on with nobody out but got out of the jam with two strikeouts and a pop-out then struck out the side in the sixth to wrap up his day.

"I've seen Homer Bailey a lot and that's as good as I've ever seen him pitch," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "He was really good tonight."

After throwing 89 and 78 pitches in his first two outings, respectively, Bailey threw 102 Friday with 69 going for strikes.

"They just kept fouling me off and fouling me off," Bailey said. "That was frustrating, but just to be back and have a few games. Definitely starting to see my focus sort of dialing in a little bit, which I was really pleased with I think more than anything tonight."

Cincinnati's offense did it's part, staking Bailey to an early lead when Brewers starter Jimmy Nelson walked Scott Schebler with the bases loaded in the first inning.

Adam Duvall added some breathing room in the third with a solo home run to left-center and an RBI single by Eugenio Suarez made it a 3-0 game.

"He got a breaking ball mistake and he hammered it," Reds manager Bryan Price said of Duvall's home run. "He's just getting good pitches to hit and taking advantage."

Nelson overcame his first inning struggles and finished with seven strikeouts as he worked five full innings for the first time since July 22, but still took the loss for his sixth consecutive start after allowing three runs on six hits and three walks.

"The first inning probably cost me an inning or two," Nelson said. "I let those two or three hitters get away from me. That was the frustrating part for me. The two runs in the third, those were pretty good pitches. The Duvall homer was a 2-1 slider. It wasn't a hanger or anything. At that point, you tip your cap; he put a good swing on a good pitch."

Duvall would finish with three hits on the day, tying his career high. So did Brandon Phillips, who drove in an insurance run with a ground-rule double during a four-run seventh for Cincinnati, breaking the game open.

"I think we had 19 baserunners, had some big hits," Price said. "One of the unsung things in that game was Brandon stealing second base in the third and Suarez getting kind of jammed and hitting that base hit into right field to drive in a run there. And then De Jesus in a 5-0 game pinch-hitting and driving in two more with a base hit. We talk about those add-on runs and how important they are."

Milwaukee broke the shutout bid in the eighth on a solo home run by Ramon Flores, his second of the season, and caused a moment of concern in the ninth when pinch-hitter Manny Pina hit a two-out, three-run home run off Keyvius Sampson.

But Raisel Iglesias needed only one pitch to retire Martin Maldonado on a fly ball to left.

NOTES: Brewers manager Craig Counsell was ejected prior to the eighth inning for arguing balls and strikes with home plate umpire Bill Miller. "We had a little disagreement on balls and strikes," Counsell said. ... 2B Brandon Phillips (quad) and LF Scott Schebler (calf) were back in the Reds' lineup Friday. Both players were forced to leave Cincinnati's game Tuesday and sat out Wednesday against the Cardinals because of their injuries. ... OF Domingo Santana went 1-for-3 with a strikeout for Class A Wisconsin as he continues a minor league rehab assignment. Santana has been out since June 10 with a sore right elbow.