• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Arroyo dominant as Reds outlast Braves

Jul 18, 2007 - 3:53 AM ATLANTA (Ticker) -- Bronson Arroyo was dominant and the Cincinnati Reds' offense did enough damage early to offset another woeful performance from the beleaguered bullpen.

Arroyo hurled seven solid innings and the Reds survived a furious rally to hold off the Atlanta Braves, 6-5, on Tuesday.

Arroyo was nearly handed a no-decision thanks to the Cincinnati bullpen, which has blown 15 saves and entered with the fourth-worst ERA in the National League at 4.69.

Mike Stanton relieved Arroyo in the seventh and gave four runs back on a two-run homer by Andruw Jones and a two-run triple by Kelly Johnson.

"I was not going to think about all the blown leads," said Arroyo, who has been victimized twice this season by the rickety Cincinnati bullpen. "(The seventh) was a long inning. When we scored the four runs, I thought it was the right time to come out."

Closer David Weathers made the lead stand up. With the tying run at the plate, Weathers got Jarrod Saltalamacchia to line out to to shortstop to end the eighth.

Weathers then allowed an RBI single to Chipper Jones in the ninth before getting Andruw Jones to fly out to left for his 18th save in 21 chances. Jones got under a pitch and just missed hitting his second homer of the game, which would have tied the game.

"It was a valiant comeback," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "Six runs down and get almost all the way back, it would have been something. We just didn't do it."

Chipper Jones knew off the bat that Andruw Jones did not get enough of the ball to send it out.

"I usually can tell from a side view (at first base) when Andruw (Jones) gets it," Jones said. "I knew he got the first one. I knew he didn't get the second one. I was hoping a mosquito went into the eye of the left fielder."

After winning 14 games last season, Arroyo (4-10) has struggled mightily in his second campaign with the Reds, winning just three of his first 13 decisions to enter this one with a 4.78 ERA.

Arroyo reverted to his dominant 2006 form Tuesday, hurling seven shutout innings, scattering just three hits, walking two and striking out a season high-tying nine to record his first win over the Braves since August 29, 2002.

"It felt nice to come out and feel good while putting up a lot of zeros," Arroyo said. "I haven't done that in a long time."

The righthander tossed 100 pitches - 64 strikes - en route to notching his second win in three decisions.

Atlanta's biggest threat against Arroyo came in the fifth inning.

Johnson lead off the frame with double before Arroyo struck out Saltalamacchia. Atlanta rookie starter Jo-Jo Reyes (0-1), who became the first pitcher since Florida's Miguel Tejera in 2002 to collect his first major league hit as a pinch hitter on Monday, blooped a single to left-center field, advancing Johnson to third.

But Arroyo struck out Willie Harris and induced Edgar Renteria to fly out to end the threat.

"We had an opportunity with a runner at third and less than two outs," Chipper Jones said. "We didn't get him in. At the time, you didn't think much of it, but it would have been a big run."

Former Atlanta-area prep star Jeff Keppinger got the Reds on the board with a two-run double in the fifth.

With one out, Cody Ross smashed a double off Reyes and advanced to third on Arroyo's groundout. After Ryan Freel was issued a free pass and stole second base, Keppinger laced a double down the left field line for a 2-0 lead.

Cincinnati added four runs in the seventh with a pair of two-out two-run singles by Ken Griffey Jr. and Brandon Phillips to give the Reds a 6-0 edge.

In just his second major league start, Reyes allowed four runs and eight hits in 6 1/3 innings. He walked two and did not have a strikeout.

Phillips, who snapped an 11-game hitting streak on Monday, collected three hits and drove in a pair for the Reds, who improved to 8-4 since Pete Mackanin was named interim manager on July 1.