National
Reds rap 19 hits, pound Brewers
MILWAUKEE – Dusty Baker said Cincinnati’s performance reminded him of a merry-go-round. The Reds’ 19-hit effort brought them back where they’ve been most of the season – first place.
Brandon Phillips, Joey Votto and Scott Rolen all had four hits and Cincinnati roughed up Milwaukee Brewers ace Yovani Gallardo in a 12-4 win Tuesday night that moved them back into a tie for first in the NL Central with St. Louis.
“If we can just keep the merry-go-round going, guys on the bases, pitchers in the stretch and them on defense, sooner or later, you can wear them down,” Baker said. “We needed to win, St. Louis lost, so we’re back tied again. We’ll just go from here.”
The Reds trail St. Louis by percentage points in the standings, but it’s been rare for Cincinnati to be outside the top spot in the division. Since May 16, the Reds have spent 51 of the previous 72 days in first place or tied for first, exactly where they will start today be when they try to win the three-game series against the Brewers.
The top four hitters in Cincinnati’s lineup – Phillips, Orlando Cabrera, Votto and Rolen – finished 15 for 22 with eight runs and seven RBI as the Reds matched a season high with 19 hits.
Rookie reliever Logan Ondrusek (2-0) earned the win with 2 1/3 hitless innings after Reds starter Edinson Volquez had another trying night in his third appearance since reconstructive elbow surgery.
ASTROS 6, CUBS 1: Brett Myers pitched a complete game and Lance Berkman hit his first grand slam since 2008 for host Houston.
It is the 10th career complete game for Myers (8-6) and his first since May. He allowed four hits and struck out 12 batters.
PIRATES 4, ROCKIES 2: At Denver, Zach Duke threw six solid innings to help Pittsburgh snap a four-game losing streak. Colorado lost reliever Huston Street to a freak injury before the game.
Street bruised the right side of his abdomen when he was hit by a line drive as he warmed up in right field during batting practice. His availability will be on a day-to-day basis.
METS 8, CARDINALS 2: Host New York suddenly broke loose at home, roughing up St. Louis ace Adam Wainwright.
Shut out four times during a 2-9 road trip, the Mets came home and ended Wainwright’s career-best scoreless streak at 26 innings. Wainwright (14-6) was tagged for a season-worst six runs.
NATIONALS 3, BRAVES 0: With Stephen Strasburg suddenly scratched, reliever Miguel Batista was pressed into making his first start in nearly two years – and the 39-year-old journeyman was rather Strasburglike at Washington.
Batista allowed only three singles in five scoreless innings and two throwing errors hurt Atlanta starter Tommy Hanson.
PHILLIES 9, DIAMONDBACKS 5: Ryan Howard hit a tiebreaking two-run homer, Jayson Werth and Cody Ransom also connected, and host Philadelphia chalked up a season-high sixth straight win.
The two-time NL champion Phillies moved within 3 1/2 games of East-leading Atlanta, cutting the deficit in half over the last five days.
GIANTS 6, MARLINS 4: Juan Uribe hit a tie-breaking home run leading off the eighth inning and Edgar Renteria added a two-run shot for host San Francisco.
DODGERS 2, PADRES 0. Pinch-hitter Andre Ethier delivered a clutch two-run single with two outs in the seventh off Jon Garland to lead visiting Los Angeles over NL West-leading San Diego.