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Harang returns to form as Reds defeat Rockies

Aug 23, 2008 - 5:55 AM By Brady Delander PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

DENVER (Ticker) -- Following two rough starts, Aaron Harang took the proactive approach and spent the last week reviewing where he went wrong. It appears a little soul-searching answered most of his questions.

Harang turned in his best start of the season and Brandon Phillips homered on Friday, propelling the Cincinnati Reds to an 8-5 win over the Colorado Rockies.

Joey Votto also drove in two runs and Jeff Keppinger collected three hits for the Reds, who handed the Rockies their second straight loss following a five-game winning streak.

Harang (4-13), a 16-game winner in each of the last two seasons, rebounded nicely from consecutive outings in which he surrendered eight runs. He tossed six scoreless innings, yielding six hits and three walks with four strikeouts to post his first win since June 13.

"Mechanically, I was getting out in front of myself instead of keeping my weight back," Harang said. "I came back this week and worked on some stuff with my timing with my hands."

The righthander looked a bit wild at the start, throwing more balls than strikes through the first two innings. But he held the Rockies in check, even working out of a bases-loaded jam with none out in the fifth by cutting down the heart of the lineup.

He forced Matt Holliday to pop up to shortstop before striking out Brad Hawpe and Garrett Atkins, prompting boos to rain down from the stands at Coors Field.

"I didn't go out there trying to nitpick," Harang said. "I wanted to be aggressive and go right at them, make them put the ball in play. That was a huge situation."

Gary Majewski and David Weathers surrendered five runs over the next two innings before handing the game over to closer Francisco Cordero, who worked around two hits in the ninth for his 25th save.

"I never feel comfortable, no matter what the score is until you get the final out at this park," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "Boy, you get worn out after a game here."

The Reds, who had been held to two runs or less in each of their last three games, matched that total in the first inning alone against Livan Hernandez (1-2). After an infield single by Keppinger, Phillips crushed a lazy curveball from Hernandez that was clocked at 63 miles per hour deep over the wall in left field for a two-run homer.

"The high curveball that Phillips hit out, (Hernandez) missed some location there," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. "He's got to have location and he's got to have command. He's just been inconsistent."

Cincinnati chased Hernandez by posting four runs in the fourth. Votto and Edwin Encarnacion opened the inning with base hits and rookie Jay Bruce slapped a line-drive single to left field, plating Votto.

Ryan Hanigan loaded the bases with an infield single and fellow rookie Chris Dickerson took advantage with a two-run base hit up the middle, forcing Hernandez from the game after he yielded six runs and eight hits in 3 2/3 innings.

"I know I (didn't) pitch good," Hernandez said. "I said 'I'm sorry' to the organization because the last two starts here have been horrible."

Votto connected for a double in the fifth to drive home Phillips and added a RBI single in the seventh to extend the lead to 8-0.

Colorado broke through with a three-run seventh. Holliday hit an RBI single and Atkins followed with a run-scoring double. Rookie Ian Stewart, who finished with a career-best four hits, plated Atkins with a single.

The Rockies put up two more runs in the eighth. Third baseman Encarnacion's throwing error allowed one run to score and Willy Taveras drove in another on a groundout.