MILWAUKEE -- Zach Davies did not have his best stuff against the Cincinnati Reds Friday night at Miller Park, but it was more than enough to give his team a chance to win.

Davies worked five innings while allowing three runs seven hits and striking out three as the Milwaukee Brewers rallied late for a 5-4 victory over the Reds.

"I didn't think his command was real, real sharp tonight; I think it's been better," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "But he still made pitches and that's a good sign. When your command's not as pinpoint as it usually is and you're still making pitches, that's a good sign."

The start wound up being the last of the season for Davies, who took a massive step forward and solidified himself as a cornerstone in Milwaukee's rebuilding efforts.

Called up from Triple-A Colorado Springs on April 17, Davies started the season 0-3 with an 8.78 ERA, but he went 11-4 with a 3.54 ERA over his final 25 starts.

"It's definitely been a huge learning experience for me," Davies said. "I was glad to get almost a full season up here and to go through the season fully healthy and finish the year off. I've been very pleased with some of the things I've learned and I've done but at the same time, you can see there's still work to do."

Ryan Braun put the Brewers ahead with a two-run single in the seventh, and first baseman Chris Carter gave Davies some defensive help in the first inning.

With runners at first and second with nobody out in the first, Carter bailed Davies out of a jam, snaring Joey Votto's line drive behind the bag. Carter stepped on first to double up Scott Schebler, then fired to second before Jose Peraza could tag up, ending the inning with Milwaukee's second triple play of the season.

"I was just trying to make a play there," Carter said. "The runners both ran before (Davies) threw it. I knew there was a potential for it. I ended up catching it and touching first and then (going to) second. My first thought was to touch first because I knew they both ran. I was aware of that before the play even happened."

Milwaukee's other triple play came on April 29, and Davies was on the mound for that one, too.

"In one season, to be on the mound for two triple plays ... that's like a dolphin in Lake Michigan," Counsell joked afterward.

Along with flashing the leather, Carter gave Davies an offensive boost when he led off the second inning with a solo home run, his career-high 38th of the season.

The lead held as Davies worked in and out of trouble through the fourth, but two straight singles to open the fifth, followed by a sacrifice bunt, brought up Peraza, who crushed a 0-1 offering over the wall in left-center to give the Reds a 3-1 lead.

It looked like that might have been enough of a cushion for Reds starter Anthony Desclafani, but Milwaukee picked up a run in the bottom of the inning to make it 5-4.

Andrew Susac led off the seventh with a double, then Desclafani walked pinch-hitter Josmil Pinto and Jonathan Villar, loading the bases.

"I guess it just got away from me," said Declafani, who was charged with all five runs and allowed six hits and three walks with four strikeouts over six innings of work. "I just sucked there in that seventh inning."

Tony Cingrani came on to face Scooter Gennett, but allowed a bases-loaded walk, tying the game at 5.

Blake Wood was next, but he hung a slider that Braun ripped back up the middle for a two-run single, giving Milwaukee the lead.

"It was a tough way to lose, for sure, losing our command in the seventh," Reds manager Bryan Price said.

NOTES: Reds manager Bryan Price said that RHP Brandon Finnegan would start Sunday's series finale at Milwaukee while Tim Adelman and Rob Stephenson will follow. Homer Bailey was in consideration for the Sunday spot, but Price said he wasn't "ready to commit" to Bailey joining the rotation. ... Price added that Finnegan's start may be his last of the season; he has thrown 167 innings this season after throwing 105 1/3 in 2015. ... Hernan Perez got another start in center field Friday for the Brewers. He has started at six positions for Milwaukee this season.