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Unbeaten Reds crush mistake-prone Astros

Apr 7, 2011 - 3:55 AM Cincinnati, OH (Sports Network) - The Cincinnati Reds spotted Houston four first-inning runs, but then rallied with a vengeance and stayed unbeaten with a 12-4 triumph over the winless Astros at Great American Ball Park.

Scott Rolen drove in three runs, while Brandon Phillips went 3-for-4 with an RBI and three runs scored. Paul Janish also had three hits with a pair of RBI for Cincinnati, which is off to a 5-0 start for the first time since 1990. That team won its first nine games, on its way to a wire-to-wire World Series title.

The Astros, who were swept in their opening series at Philadelphia, committed five errors. That helped the Reds remain the only unbeaten team in the National League.

Edinson Volquez (1-0) had eight strikeouts in five innings and managed to get the win despite being charged with five hits, five walks and four runs.

Nelson Figueroa (0-1) was pounded for 11 hits and 10 runs -- six earned -- over 5 1/3 innings for the Astros.

Chris Johnson had a two-run single during Houston's four-run first, which also featured a bases-loaded walk to Brett Wallace and an RBI single from J.R. Towles. However, Michael Bourn fanned with the bases full to end the inning.

An inning later, the Reds began their comeback when Janish singled in Jay Bruce.

Then in the five-run bottom of the third, the Reds sent nine men to the plate and Houston committed a pair of critical errors.

"That's what good teams do, they keep plugging away," Bourn said of the Reds. "We couldn't get anything going after the first. We got to them early, but couldn't stay on them. That's the name of the game."

Rolen doubled to the gap in left-center to drive in Joey Votto and Phillips. After Bruce legged out an infield hit, Figueroa's gaffe allowed Chris Heisey to reach safely and plated Rolen with the tying run. Ramon Hernandez was up next, and on the first pitch the Reds attempted a double steal. The throw from Towles went off the bat of Hernandez and caromed out of play, resulting in the go-ahead tally. Janish then singled up the middle for a 6-4 lead.

"For them that has to be tough for us to come right back at them," Janish said. "It was big for us to get out there and have tough at-bats."

The Reds blew it open in the sixth with four runs, two on singles from Phillips and Drew Stubbs, another on a ground-rule double from Votto. Phillips scored on a fielder's choice on a ball hit by Rolen.

Pinch-hitter Edgar Renteria singled in a run in the eighth, and Cincinnati's last score came on an error from shortstop Angel Sanchez.

Game Notes

The Astros will try to avoid a three-game sweep Thursday afternoon when they send Brett Myers to the mound. The Reds will start Sam LeCure...With 248 career wins for the Reds, Dusty Baker is on the verge of becoming only the 11th manager in major league history with at least 250 wins for three different teams. Baker had 840 wins for San Francisco and 322 for the Cubs.