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Jorgensen's blast helps Reds win sixth straight

Aug 26, 2007 - 10:16 PM CINCINNATI (Ticker) -- The Cincinnati Reds have relied on the long ball all season long. Therefore, it was no surprise that they used them to mark one of the season's top moments.

Ryan Jorgensen blasted a first-inning grand slam as the Reds rolled to their season-high sixth straight win, a 9-3 triumph over the Florida Marlins on Sunday.

Brandon Phillips hit a two-run homer in the second inning and Edwin Encarnacion added a solo shot in the third for Cincinnati, which entered the contest second in the majors with 173 long balls.

By sweeping their first series since taking three in a row at the Atlanta Braves from July 16-18, the Reds reached .500 at home (33-33) for the first time since they were 6-6 on April 21. The offense has played a big role in the surge, averaging 7.1 runs during a 6-1 homestand.

It did not take long for Cincinnati to put some runs across the plate against Marlins rookie Daniel Barone (0-2), scoring all nine through the first three frames.

"It's a tough spot," Florida manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "We got behind the 8-ball, (eight) runs in the first two innings. We couldn't come back from that. It's no fun playing catchup."

The beneficiary of the strong start was 29-year-old rookie Tom Shearn (1-0), who won his major league debut.

The righthander allowed three runs and four hits in seven innings to extend the struggles for floundering Florida, which has dropped 11 of its last 12 games. Shearn, a native of Columbus, Ohio, also struck out two and walked a pair of batters.

"Everytime a player steps on the field he's auditioning for a job," Cincinnati interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "He threw all of his pitches for strikes and changed speeds. He went right after them and showed no fear. We didn't know what to expect."

Shearn spent 12 years in the minor leagues and one year out of baseball following "Tommy John" surgery before getting a chance. He was sleeping in the groundskeeper's camper at Louisville to save a month's rent when he was told of Sunday's callup.

After hearing the news, Shearn drove an 1 1/2 hours last night and slept on Gary Majewski's couch.

"I'd have slept in my car," Shearn said.

"All I ever wanted was a shot to see what I could do up here. If they send me down tomorrow, I'll have a smile on my face. This chance came because I was in the right place at the right time."

Knowing he would be anxious about the last-minute start, Shearn went through a little pre-game ritual to calm his nerves.

"I came out early to an empty ballpark and walked around so when I went to the mound, I would have been there before," he said. "I told myself you have to do it so you might as well do it and relax. I faced about half of these guys coming up through the minor leagues. The ones I didn't face I just asked somebody."

After Shearn worked a perfect first inning, the Reds jumped all over Barone with two outs in bottom of the frame.

Ken Griffey Jr., who hit career home run No. 591 in Saturday's 11-7 win, drew a walk before later scoring on a single by Adam Dunn. Scott Hatteberg worked a bases-loaded walk before an RBI single by Encarnacion.

Jorgensen, who was promoted from Class AAA Louisville on August 14, followed with a blast for his first career grand slam and a 6-0 lead.

"I didn't expect to hit a grand slam but once I did it allowed Tom and I to relax and concentrate on the hitters," Jorgensen said.

A member of the Marlins for four games in 2005, Jorgensen also homered in his first game with the Reds on August 15.

Despite homering twice in four games with Cincinnati, the 28-year-old catcher is likely to be sent back to Louisville when David Ross returns from the disabled list.

However, Jorgensen and his batterymate, Shearn, managed their one day in the sun.

"It's baseball," Jorgensen said. "There were a couple games that I would have liked to have done better. I'm glad Ross is all right. If I have to go down, I'll still feel good about this experience. Maybe I earned another chance."

"It was an interesting battery," Mackanin said. "I'm happy for Jorgensen. I don't know what else to say. He's a solid catcher, a great kid, very sincere and a power hitter."

Cincinnati had another two-out rally in the second, as Griffey ripped a double before Phillips blasted his 25th homer of the season for an 8-0 advantage.

Over his last six games, Phillips is hitting .462 (12-for-26) with three home runs and seven RBI.

Dan Uggla hit a three-run homer in the third to slice the Marlins' deficit to 8-3 before Encarnacion connected on his 10th shot in the bottom half to complete the scoring.

Barone was ripped for nine runs and eight hits in three innings.

The 24-year-old Barone earned his debut on August 10 by winning all seven decisions at Class AAA Albuquerque after starting the season at Class AA Carolina. He would not use homer-friendly Great American Ball Park as an excuse.

"I pitched in Albuquerque," he said. "That's a launching pad in itself. You've got to keep the ball down and make pitches. I was leaving pitches up. I couldn't get the ball in today. When I tried to go in, I'd leave it over the plate."