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Reds hit 3 HRs in 10th, hold off A's in 6-4 win

Jun 23, 2010 - 4:52 AM OAKLAND, Calif.(AP) -- Ramon Hernandez wasn't surprised Cincinnati's offense went into a slump over the weekend. He wasn't shocked, either, when the Reds broke out in a big way in Oakland.

Hernandez hit a tiebreaking home run leading off the 10th inning, Joey Votto and Scott Rolen added back-to-back shots and the Reds beat the Athletics 6-4 on Monday night.

"You know you're going to go through ups and downs," Hernandez said. "There are a lot of games and you can't just be on in all of them. It's impossible. The big thing is we're just trying to stay out of those long cool-off times."

The Reds scored just one run while getting swept by the Mariners and managed only an unearned run off A's starter Gio Gonzalez before getting three home runs in the 10th.

Hernandez hit an 0-1 pitch from Michael Wuertz (2-1) that bounced off the right-field foul pole, breaking a 2-2 tie. Brandon Phillips hit a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice before Votto's two-run shot off Cedrick Bowers. Rolen followed with his home run, tying Votto for the team lead with 15.

"You knew we were due for a big inning," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "It was huge. It seems like when your bats are sick, everybody's bats are sick but when bats get well it seems like everybody's bats get well at the same time."

The win moved Baker into a tie with Chuck Tanner for 26th place on the all-time list.

Cincinnati had taken a 2-1 lead in the top of the ninth when pinch-hitter Jay Bruce singled off Oakland closer Andrew Bailey to drive in Drew Stubbs.

Oakland's Kevin Kouzmanoff tied the game with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the ninth off Reds closer Francisco Cordero before the Reds powered up in the 10th off Wuertz and Bowers.

Cordero (3-3) got the win after his fifth blown save of the season. He gave up Kouzmanoff's home run and walked the first two Oakland batters in the 10th before two Cincinnati relievers were needed to finish the game.

After Cordero's two walks in the 10th, Kurt Suzuki singled off Daniel Ray Herrera to load the bases. Ryan Sweeney's fielder's choice made it 6-3 before Jordan Smith got Kouzmanoff on a run-scoring grounder and then struck out Jack Cust for his first career save.

The Reds won for just the second time in 10 regular-season games against the A's, who have dropped eight of their last 10 overall.

"This is a critical time of the season," Oakland manager Bob Geren said. "We were right there in first place a couple of weeks ago and we're going through a rough time. We're giving up too many home runs, that's for sure."

Gonzalez gave up an unearned run in the first inning after shortstop Cliff Pennington bobbled Phillips' grounder. Votto's one-out double drove in Phillips, Cincinnati's second run scored in 31 innings.

The Reds didn't get much else off Gonzalez, who scattered four hits over seven innings. He also had nine strikeouts, one shy of his career high.

Cincinnati rookie Mike Leake was just as solid but left with a no-decision for the fifth time in his last seven starts. The right-hander didn't allow a hit until Pennington's one-out bloop single in the third and got some help from his defense. After Conor Jackson singled in Rajai Davis in the fifth, Cincinnati left fielder Jonny Gomes threw out Daric Barton at third base after Barton overslid the bag.

NOTES: Baker is making a pitch for LHP Arthur Rhodes to be included on the NL All-Star team. Rhodes, who carried a league-leading 0.29 ERA into Monday, has not been scored upon in 29 innings. ... DH Cust was back in the A's lineup after pinch-hitting in each of the three games against St. Louis. Cust went 0-for-4. ... Pennington committed his team-leading 10th error in the first inning. ... Manager Bob Geren said before the game that LHP Brett Anderson (sore elbow, forearm) might not return to the A's rotation for 3-4 weeks. ... LHP Dallas Braden will start for Oakland on Tuesday and is seeking his first win in eight starts since pitching a perfect game on May 9. ... Kouzmanoff is batting .396 (19 for 48) in interleague play this season.