Final
Reds beat Astros 10-4 for sixth straight win
Sep 27, 2009 - 3:05 AM HOUSTON(AP) -- Jay Bruce is getting used to not playing every day. But he probably won't need to get used to it for long.That is if Bruce continues to hit the way he did Saturday when he went 2 for 3, drove in three runs and scored twice as the Cincinnati Reds won their sixth straight game, 10-4 over the Houston Astros.
Bruce was leading the Reds in home runs with 18 when he fractured his right wrist in mid July.
Since returning from the disabled list Sept. 13, he has started six games and appeared in 11.
"I've never not played every day," Bruce said. "So it was a little different coming back. But I continue to make the adjustments and they are easier to make when you're winning."
Bruce admitted he needed to get his timing back when he returned. He has now gone 10 for 27 at the plate (.370) and had 11 RBIs since his return, including a homer and a double Saturday.
"I'm starting to get in a little bit of a groove," Bruce said. "I'm making better decisions now. The biggest thing for me is just not swinging at bad pitches."
Manager Dusty Baker agrees.
"This game's a whole a lot easier when you're scoring runs," Baker said. "Jay Bruce had an outstanding game. He has been very patient at the plate lately."
Laynce Nix also homered and drove in three runs and Juan Francisco and Corky Miller each had two RBIs for the Reds, who have won 10 of 12 and 23 of 33 overall. They beat the Astros for the ninth straight time.
Miguel Tejada was 4 for 4 with two RBIs for the Astros, who have lost 11 of 12 and dropped to 1-4 under interim manager Dave Clark.
Former Astros ace Roger Clemens was on the field before the game to videotape his son Koby being honored as one of Houston's top minor league players. Koby Clemens hit .345 with 121 RBIs at Class A Lancaster to top all Astros farmhands in those categories.
Justin Lehr (5-2) went five innings for Cincinnati, yielding four runs and six hits.
Hunter Pence hit a solo drive in the second and Tejada connected in the third against Lehr, who tied a club record when he allowed five homers Sept. 16 outing against Houston.
Cincinnati pushed across two runs in the second, three in the third and made it 8-2 with three in the fifth. Nix hit a two-run drive off Felipe Paulino (2-11) in the second for his 14th homer and added a sacrifice fly in the third. Francisco had a two-run single in the third and Miller doubled in a pair of runs in the fifth.
Paulino (2-11) gave up eight runs and nine hits in five innings, dropping to 0-7 with a 7.71 ERA in his last 10 games.
Despite Paulino's struggles, the Astros say they are still firmly behind him.
"We just have to stay away from big innings," Clark said. "We think a lot of Paulino. Right now he's still in that process of learning how to pitch at this level.
"Sometimes he gets a little too amped, starts overthrowing it. When he's like that he's just a different guy. We just need him to settle down and be more consistent in the strike zone."
Paulino still believes in himself.
"I made a lot of mistakes today," he said. "Hitters, they'll make you pay for that.
"I put it on myself. For four or five games, I had been consistent. But today I was just never feeling well when I was delivering the ball and that's why I made a lot of mistakes."
NOTES: Reds 3B Scott Rolen missed his second straight game with back spasms. He is expected to sit out again Sunday, then be re-evaluated. Nix's second-inning homer snapped an 0-for-20 string. Houston's 20 home runs in its last 15 games leads the NL in that span. Pence's 25th homer in the second inning tied his career high set last year.
- Astros 4, Reds 10 - FINAL
CINCINNATI ab r h rbi bb so lob avg
D Stubbs cf 4 0 0 0 1 2 1 .261
P Janish ss 5 0 0 0 0 1 2 .217
J Votto 1b 4 3 3 0 1 0 0 .319
B Phillips 2b 5 1 1 0 0 0 1 .279
J Bruce rf 3 3 2 3 2 0 0 .221
J Francisco 3b 5 1 2 2 0 2 1 .444
L Nix lf
Sep 26 9:51 PM - NL
AT HOUSTON - SCORING UPDATE
TWO-RUN HOME RUN BY JAY BRUCE (20) TO LEFT CENTER WITH 2 OUT
IN THE 9TH OFF JEFF FULCHINO SCORED JOEY VOTTO.
CURRENT SCORE: CINCINNATI 10, HOUSTON 4
DUE UP FOR CINCINNATI: J FRANCISCO (.471, 2-FOR-4, 2 RBI)
Reds 10, Astros 4 Top 9, 0 OutsSep 26 9:42 PM - NL
AT HOUSTON - SCORING UPDATE
GROUND DP BY LANCE BERKMAN SCORED MICHAEL BOURN
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, NONE ON, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: CINCINNATI 8
HOUSTON 4 BOTTOM,5TH
DUE UP FOR HOUSTON: C LEE (.303, 0-FOR-2)
Reds 8, Astros 4 Bot 5, 0 OutsSep 26 8:40 PM - NL
AT HOUSTON - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY MIGUEL TEJADA SCORED EDWIN MAYSONET
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, M TEJADA ON FIRST, M BOURN ON THIRD, 0 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: CINCINNATI 8
HOUSTON 3 BOTTOM,5TH
DUE UP FOR HOUSTON: L BERKMAN (.270, 0-FOR-1, BB)
Reds 8, Astros 3 Bot 5, 0 OutsSep 26 8:38 PM - NL
AT HOUSTON - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY CORKY MILLER SCORED LAYNCE NIX AND JAY BRUCE
SITUATION: 3 RUNS IN, C MILLER ON SECOND, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: CINCINNATI 8
HOUSTON 2 TOP,5TH
DUE UP FOR CINCINNATI: J LEHR (.105, 0-FOR-2)
Reds 8, Astros 2 Top 5, 0 OutsSep 26 8:31 PM - NL
AT HOUSTON - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY JAY BRUCE SCORED JOEY VOTTO
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, J BRUCE ON SECOND, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: CINCINNATI 6
HOUSTON 2 TOP,5TH
DUE UP FOR CINCINNATI: J FRANCISCO (.533, 2-FOR-2, 2 RBI)
Reds 6, Astros 2 Top 5, 0 OutsSep 26 8:27 PM - NL
AT HOUSTON - SCORING UPDATE
SOLO HOME RUN BY MIGUEL TEJADA (13) TO LEFT CENTER WITH 1
OUT IN THE 3RD OFF JUSTIN LEHR.
CURRENT SCORE: CINCINNATI 5, HOUSTON 2
DUE UP FOR HOUSTON: L BERKMAN (.270, 0-FOR-1)
Reds 5, Astros 2 Bot 3, 0 OutsSep 26 8:00 PM - NL
AT HOUSTON - SCORING UPDATE
SACRIFICE FLY BY LAYNCE NIX SCORED JAY BRUCE
SITUATION: 3 RUNS IN, J FRANCISCO ON FIRST, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: CINCINNATI 5
HOUSTON 1 TOP,3RD
DUE UP FOR CINCINNATI: C MILLER (.184, 1-FOR-1)
Reds 5, Astros 1 Top 3, 0 OutsSep 26 7:54 PM - NL
AT HOUSTON - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY JUAN FRANCISCO SCORED BRANDON PHILLIPS AND JOEY
VOTTO
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, J FRANCISCO ON FIRST, J BRUCE ON THIRD, 0 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: CINCINNATI 4
HOUSTON 1 TOP,3RD
DUE UP FOR CINCINNATI: L NIX (.241, 1-FOR-1, HR, 2 RBI)
Reds 4, Astros 1 Top 3, 0 OutsSep 26 7:53 PM - NL
AT HOUSTON - SCORING UPDATE
SOLO HOME RUN BY HUNTER PENCE (25) TO CENTER WITH 1 OUT IN
THE 2ND OFF JUSTIN LEHR.
CURRENT SCORE: CINCINNATI 2, HOUSTON 1
DUE UP FOR HOUSTON: K MATSUI (.254, 8 HR, 42 RBI)
Reds 2, Astros 1 Bot 2, 0 OutsSep 26 7:36 PM - NL
AT HOUSTON - SCORING UPDATE
TWO-RUN HOME RUN BY LAYNCE NIX (14) TO RIGHT WITH 1 OUT IN
THE 2ND OFF FELIPE PAULINO SCORED JUAN FRANCISCO.
CURRENT SCORE: CINCINNATI 2, HOUSTON 0
DUE UP FOR CINCINNATI: C MILLER (.167, 1 HR, 8 RBI)
Reds 2, Astros 0 Top 2, 0 OutsSep 26 7:27 PM
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