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Belisle dominant as Reds end Bucs' winning streak

Apr 29, 2007 - 4:10 AM PITTSBURGH (Ticker) -- Matt Belisle's best career outing came at just the right time for the struggling Cincinnati Reds.

Belisle carried a perfect game into the sixth inning and the Reds scored four runs in the fifth en route to an 8-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates, who had their season-high five-game winning streak snapped.

Jeff Conine had three hits and three RBI for the Reds, who beat Tom Gorzelanny to win for just the third time in 10 games.

"We've gotten a lot of good starting pitching performances this year, and we haven't been able to get any kind of a lead and give them a comfort zone, give them something to work with," Conine said. "Tonight we scored some runs for him and he obviously pitched a phenomenal game."

After allowing two runs over 12 innings in winning his first two starts, Belisle (3-1) was reached for nine runs in 10 1/3 innings in his two previous starts. But the 26-year-old reverted to his early April form against the Pirates, yielding five hits without a walk and striking out five in his first career complete game - and the Reds' first this season - in his 12th start.

"He pounded the strike zone early," Cincinnati manager Jerry Narron said. "I think the last couple times out, he just didn't trust his fastball enough and tonight he got good movement."

Belisle's previous longest outing was six innings. After the game, however, he downplayed the significance of the complete game.

"I'm just glad we won," Belisle said. "The significance is that I'm doing my job and they were swinging a lot. Sometimes it goes that way."

The righthander was perfect until Ronny Paulino's double to the right-center field gap with one out in the sixth. Belisle lost his bid for his first shutout when Chris Duffy lined a two-out single to center field that cut the Reds' lead to 5-1.

In the seventh, Pittsburgh second baseman Freddy Sanchez reached on an infield single that tipped off Belisle's glove, but he was erased on a double play. Adam LaRoche then doubled to right-center field before Belisle escaped that frame.

Jose Bautista was the last Pirate to reach, hitting a leadoff single in the eighth.

"If you're going to get back into a game like that, you've got to string a few hits in a row together, and we weren't able to do it," Pittsburgh manager Jim Tracy said.

Gorzelanny (3-1) had allowed no more than three runs - seven total - in his first four starts, but he yielded four alone in the fifth frame against the Reds.

Adam Dunn opened the inning with a walk, stole second and advanced to third on a line single to left field by David Ross. Belisle then bunted and catcher Paulino fielded, tagged the pitcher and threw to second base, but shortstop Jack Wilson did not realize the force was off and did not tag Ross. With the double play not completed, Dunn trotted home with the game's second run.

"That's one of those that you can't think up," LaRoche said. "You can't sit around in spring training and work on that play. That's a freak play."

Gorzelanny seemed to unravel after that. Ryan Freel reached on an infield hit before Brandon Phillips singled hard to left field, plating Ross. Rookie Josh Hamilton followed by drilling a double off the center field wall, plating Freel for a 4-0 edge. The hit by Hamilton was just the second all season by a lefthanded hitter against Gorzelanny.

The Pirates pitcher then committed a balk, allowing Phillips to cross the plate.

"It was just one of those things," Gorzelanny said of his struggles in the fifth. "I just kept trying to bear down and go through the inning and try to make quality pitches but some nights my pitches don't work. That's how it goes."

The 24-year-old Gorzelanny retired the first 11 batters until he walked Hamilton on a 3-2 offering in the fourth. Jeff Conine followed with a double down the left field line that gave the Reds a 1-0 lead.

Gorzelanny left after six innings, allowing the five runs on eight hits as his ERA rose from 2.05 to 3.06. Conine doubled and scored in the eighth and singled in two runs in the ninth.