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Phillips, Ross power Reds past red-hot Indians

May 20, 2007 - 3:35 AM CLEVELAND (Ticker) -- Brandon Phillips and the Cincinnati Reds gave their in-state rivals a rare home loss.

Phillips and David Ross both belted three-run homers Saturday night to lead the slumping Reds to a 10-5 interleague triumph over the Cleveland Indians.

It was just the fourth victory in the last 17 games for Cincinnati, which ended Cleveland's eight-game home winning streak.

"We got two three-run homers," Reds manager Jerry Narron said. "I guess it was American League baseball."

The Reds had managed a total of just 17 runs over their last seven games before erupting in this one to improve to 2-6 on their nine-game road trip.

The red-hot Phillips entered with a .344 average (21-for-61) over his previous 14 games and kept rolling Saturday, helping the Reds improve to 12-14 all-time at Jacobs Field.

"I'm just playing, that is it," Phillips said. "I'm just going out there trying to win."

Jeff Conine had three hits and two RBI while starter Matt Belisle worked into the sixth inning for Cincinnati.

Travis Hafner belted his eighth homer of the season in the first inning to give Cleveland the early 1-0 lead.

But Conine ripped an RBI double in the following frame to forge a 1-1 tie, and the Reds took the lead for good in the third thanks to Phillips' seventh homer of the campaign.

Norris Hopper ripped a one-out double off Indians starter Jeremy Sowers (0-4) and Ken Griffey Jr. followed with a walk. After Hopper stole third, Phillips scorched a line drive over the wall in left field to make it 4-1.

"I think everybody likes to see (Phillips) up there with runners on base," Narron said. "He'll give you a good at-bat, and he will battle."

Cleveland drew within 4-3 on Victor Martinez's two-run single in the bottom of the frame, but Cincinnati got three runs back in the sixth on Ross' fourth homer of the season.

Conine led off the inning with a single and Adam Dunn followed with a walk. Sowers nearly escaped the jam by retiring Alex Gonzalez on a flyout and inducing Jeff Keppinger to ground into a fielder's choice.

But Sowers could not get past Ross, who launched the lefthander's 1-1 offering well over the left-center field wall to push the advantage back to 7-3.

"It was a changeup," Sowers said. "I thought if I could have got him out there, I would have ended the game pitching three solid innings. I feel like I am one pitch away from a bad outing or a quality outing."

The Reds provided just enough support for Belisle (4-3), who won for the first time in his last four outings despite pitching in and out of trouble throughout the contest. The righthander yielded four runs, 10 hits and two walks with one strikeout.

Jhonny Peralta ripped a solo homer in the bottom of the frame to cut Cleveland's deficit to 7-4, and the Indians threatened once again in the eighth, loading the bases with one out.

Cincinnati shut the door, however, when David Weathers struck out Josh Barfield and retired Grady Sizemore on a flyout to end the inning. The righthander yielded a run in the ninth but closed out the contest for his eighth save.

"I felt like I could get (Sizemore) with a fastball away," Weathers said. "He was probably a little anxious trying to drive some runs in. He went after what was probably a ball, and I got him out."

The Reds got that run back in the ninth when Indians righthander Tom Mastny uncorked a wild pitch with the bases loaded, allowing Ross to score. Cincinnati tacked on two more runs thanks to an error by Barfield at second base.

Martinez had three hits and two RBI while Ryan Garko and Barfield each had two hits for Cleveland, which had its four-game winning streak snapped.

"We had our opportunities, heck we had a chance in the eighth," Indians manager Eric Wedge said. "But we just weren't able to finish the innings."