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Votto hits three homers in Reds' rout

May 7, 2008 - 9:40 PM CINCINNATI (Ticker) -- Less than 24 hours after getting shut out by Carlos Zambrano, the Cincinnati Reds teed off on Jon Lieber and the Chicago Cubs.

Joey Votto belted three of the Reds' seven home runs in Wednesday's 9-0 victory over the Cubs.

"I've had several two-homer games, but no threes," said Votto, who had never hit three homers in one game on any level, even when he was in high school. "Honestly, I was like a kid (after the third homer)."

Four of the Reds' homers came in the bottom of the second off Lieber (2-2), who tied a major league record for most homers allowed in one inning.

Adam Dunn, Paul Bako, Jerry Hairston Jr. and Brandon Phillips also went deep for Cincinnati, which took two of three in the series.

"That's how things go, they go in streaks," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "Home runs go in streaks. Bad hitting goes in streaks and good hitting goes in streaks."

Reds starter Edinson Volquez (5-1) scattered four hits in seven innings, but threw 118 pitches as he walked six and struck out 10, which matched a career high. Volquez lowered his ERA to 1.06.

"He has the kind of stuff where he can strike himself out of trouble," Baker said. "A lot of guys don't have that stuff."

The long-ball barrage started when Votto and Dunn opened the second with back-to-back homers. Lieber got Edwin Encarnacion to pop up, but then gave up another solo shot to Bako. Three batters later, Hairston belted a two-run homer to make it 5-0.

The Reds tied a team mark for homers in an inning, last accomplished on August 17, 1996 against the Colorado Rockies.

Lieber, who was lifted for a pinch hitter in the third inning, became only the second Cubs' pitcher to give up four homers in one inning. Phil Norton also surrendered four homers in one inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers on August 8, 2000.

Phillips and Votto hit back-to-back homers off Sean Marshall in the fifth to give the Reds a 7-0 lead. In the sixth, Votto hit a two-run shot off Sean Gallagher.

Votto, who came into the contest with just eight career homers, became the first Red with three homers in a game since Aaron Boone did it against the St. Louis Cardinals on May 8, 2003.

"The first (home run) was important because it started off the scoring," Votto said. "The second one was nice to have and the third one was really, really cool because it's the first time I've ever done that."

Votto had a chance for a fourth homer, but grounded out in the eighth.

"I'm not going to lie," Votto said. "It was in the back of my mind."

The Reds recorded their first shutout of the season while the Cubs were blanked for the second time.