MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Brewers wanted to employ Francisco Cordero as their closer again this season.

After failing at that, they wanted to force Cordero to take the night off when he returned to Miller Park with his new team — the Cincinnati Reds — for the first time Tuesday.

"Especially at home, you don't ever want to face Cordero," Brewers manager Ned Yost said. "To be honest with you, we want to have the lead and not allow them to use their stopper."

Can't blame Yost for that. Cordero, who signed a four-year, $46 million free-agent contract with the Reds in November, was a dominant closer in his 11⁄2 seasons with Milwaukee, saving 60 of 68 games, and hasn't allowed a run in three outings with Cincinnati.

So far, so good for the Brewers.

Cordero never pitched in Milwaukee's 10-inning, 3-2 victory over Cincinnati, but his absence couldn't prevent a discussion as to why Eric Gagne is closing games for the Brewers and Cordero is closing games for their National League Central Division rival.

The only consensus reached in the discussion was that nobody sees the facts of Cordero's departure exactly the same way.

Cordero said he liked everything about Milwaukee and wanted a new contract during spring training in 2007, but the Brewers wanted to see him pitch another season before making a commitment.

Cordero, who went on to save a franchise-record 44 games, said there was risk on both sides — a risk he was willing to take.

"I took my chances," he said, "and I was well-paid."

Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said he made a contract proposal for three years last spring but never got a counter proposal from Cordero's agent, Bean Stringfellow.

Cordero refused to negotiate during the season, then left the offseason negotiations to his agent. The Brewers offered $42 million for four years, but Cordero took the extra $4 million from the Reds, who needed a closer after blowing 28 save opportunities in 2007.

Melvin has said he was never given a chance to match the Reds' offer. Stringfellow has said he never got any indication the Brewers were willing to go above $42 million.

Whatever the reason, Cordero left a contender to go to a team that had lost 90 games.

"It's not about the money only," Cordero said. "It's about winning. I believe we've got a pretty good chance over here. We've got a pretty good team. Last year they blew a lot of games late. ... I think the GM (Wayne Krivsky) said they were going to adjust the bullpen and they went after me."

Very aggressively, it turned out. Cordero said he figured the Reds believed in him when he got "phone call after phone call after phone call" during the offseason.

Indeed, if the Brewers did anything wrong, it was they misjudged how badly the Reds wanted Cordero.

"I just thought he would come back," Yost said. "He gave me no reason that he wouldn't. But their offer was better and I completely understand his thinking. He's worked hard to be where he's at and he deserves everything he gets."

One hopes that doesn't apply to the Brewers.

With Cordero watching from the opposing bullpen Tuesday, Gagne blew his second save in three tries.