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D-Backs nip Reds thanks to four HRs

Apr 20, 2011 - 5:54 AM Cincinnati, OH (Sports Network) - Ryan Roberts hit a pair of homers and knocked in three, as the Arizona Diamondbacks held on for a 5-4 win over the Cincinnati Reds in the opener of a three-game series at Great American Ball Park.

Kelly Johnson and Chris Young each hit a solo shot for Arizona, which has won two in a row and split its last six games overall.

Armando Galarraga (3-0) worked six effective innings, giving up three runs on four hits with a pair of walks while striking out six. J.J. Putz locked the game down in the ninth to record his fourth save of the season.

Drew Stubbs had a solo homer and Brandon Phillips returned to the lineup after missing the last four games with a strained groin and went 2-for-4 with an RBI for the Reds, who have dropped three straight and five of six.

Sam LeCure (0-1) was touched for nine hits -- including four homers -- and five runs while fanning three over 5 1/3 innings to take the loss.

"We just have to get over this hump and keep battling," Reds manager Dusty Baker said.

Trailing 5-3 in the eighth, David Hernandez came in from the Arizona bullpen and the Reds went to work off the right-hander. Stubbs drew a leadoff walk, stole second and went to third on a throwing error before crossing the plate on Phillips' base hit to right.

Hernandez settled down to strike out Joey Votto, then retired Scott Rolen on a foul out and Jay Bruce on a flyout to center to keep the Diamondbacks ahead by a run.

Arizona was unable to tack on any insurance against Logan Ondrusek in the top of the ninth and Putz, trying to close the game out in the bottom half, hit Jonny Gomes leading off. Ryan Hanigan moved Gomes to second with a bunt, but Paul Janish groundout and pinch-hitter Chris Heisey went down on strikes to end the game.

Roberts gave the Diamondbacks a 1-0 lead with a one-out homer to right in the first, and Cincinnati tied it in the second on a sacrifice fly by Janish.

Johnson's blast to straightaway center with one-out in the third put Arizona in front, 2-1, but a solo homer by Stubbs and an RBI double from Rolen in the home half put the Reds up 3-2.

In the fifth, Johnson singled with one down, but Galarraga, who reached on a fielder's choice, was tagged out between second and third. However, Roberts made up for his teammate's base-running gaffe with a two-run shot to left.

"It was just one of those games where everything you hit seems to go," Roberts said.

Young added a solo blast to center in the sixth, putting the D-Backs ahead 5-3.

Game Notes

The Diamondbacks took two of three from the Reds when the clubs met in Arizona on April 8-10...Both teams stranded five base runners...It was Roberts' second-career multi-home run game.