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Dunn leads Reds to sweep of Indians

May 18, 2008 - 10:06 PM By Doug Tifft PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

CINCINNATI (Ticker) -- Adam Dunn and Joey Votto each homered Sunday as the Cincinnati Reds extended their winning streak to six games with a 6-4 victory over the Cleveland Indians.

Dunn homered in his fourth straight game while Edinson Volquez (7-1) labored through six innings for the Reds, who have recorded all of their wins during their current run against first-place teams.

Cincinnati followed a three-game sweep of first-place Florida earlier this week with a three-game sweep of intrastate rival Cleveland.

"I haven't seen that in a long time - a perfect homestand," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "That's how you make your move. We did it with good pitching, good defense and some timely hitting."

Dunn belted his 10th homer of the season in the fourth inning, a towering solo shot off Cleveland starter Cliff Lee (6-1) that gave Cincinnati the lead for good at 2-1.

"These (home runs) are the balls that I was fouling off or popping straight in the air or grounding out to second or swinging and missing," Dunn said. "These are the balls that I knew that I would eventually, hopefully, start hitting."

The blast came one day after Dunn belted a three run walkoff homer to give the Reds a 4-2 win Saturday. Dunn's homer Sunday broke a streak of 19 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run for Lee.

Votto made it 6-2 in the sixth with his ninth homer, a pinch two-run shot off Lee.

The matinee pitching matchup looked promising, as the showdown between Volquez and Lee marked just the third time in major league history that the ERA leaders from each league squared off.

That matchup would be spoiled however, as neither starter lasted longer than six innings. Volquez allowing two runs, four hits and four walks with five strikeouts, throwing 66 of 111 pitches for strikes.

"I didn't even think about (Lee)," Volquez said. "I just worry about me and do the best that I can."

The two runs that Volquez allowed ended a streak of eight consecutive starts to begin the season allowing one run or less, tying Mike Norris' mark set in 1980 for the most all-time.

A consolation for Volquez in losing the streak was that he surpassed Lee for the major-league lead in ERA at 1.33.

"That's what I'm looking for," Volquez said. "I want to be somebody special in the big leagues."

"Cincinnati needs to realize that they got a special kid out there on the mound," Reds catcher David Ross added. "The fans should appreciate that."

Lee logged just 5 2/3 innings, allowing season highs of six runs - five earned - and 10 hits.

Jeremy Affeldt surrendered two runs without recording an out in the seventh before Jared Burton closed the door on the inning and followed up with a scoreless eighth for the Reds.

That set up closer Francisco Cordero, who worked a scoreless ninth for his ninth save of the season.