• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Late homers lead Reds past Marlins

May 13, 2008 - 4:30 AM By Douglas Tifft PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

CINCINNATI (Ticker) -- The Cincinnati Reds provided some long overdue run support to their ace Aaron Harang, and held on for an 8-7 win over the Florida Marlins on Monday night.

Harang (2-5), who had only received three runs of support in his last three games, went seven innings giving up four runs on seven hits and striking out four.

"I never lost faith that these guys can score runs," Harang said. "It seems like we just had a little dry spell where we would put something together one day and then not the next. It just seemed to fall on my day so it was my luck."

Harang's teammates tried to keep his spirits up, despite the poor offensive output.

"They keep coming by, saying, 'We're gonna get you. We're gonna get you some runs for you. Just keep going out there and doing what you are doing," Harang said.

"Aaron is a gentle giant, but it happens, you get frustrated. Especially when you are used to winning," Reds manager Dusty Baker said.

The Marlins came into the game second in the Majors with 53 home runs. They quickly added to that as Jeremy Hermida and Hanley Ramirez hit back to back home runs for the Marlins in the top of the first. It was the fifth time this season that Florida has hit back-to-back home runs.

Dan Uggla connected for his fourth home run in the last three games in the fourth inning to give the Marlins a 3-0 lead.

The three home runs meant that the last 11 runs that the Marlins had scored off of Harang had been courtesy of the home run.

The Reds offensive outburst was led by their leadoff man Corey Patterson, who had four hits and scored twice in the game.

Patterson started off the Reds scoring with a double to the right field corner to bring home Paul Bako in the fifth. Patterson then scored on a throwing error by Marlin third baseman Jorge Cantu. The unearned run was the first that the Marlins have allowed in the last 10 games.

Rookie righthander Burke Badenhop got the start for the Marlins, going six innings while giving up four runs on six hits and two walks.

"(The key was) just settling in a little bit more and throwing strikes," Badenhop said. "That's what you need to do because if you don't get it done up here they got plenty of guys that are itching for the opportunity."

The Reds took a 4-3 lead in the sixth when Adam Dunn followed a Joey Votto walk and Edwin Encarnacion double with a sacrifice fly to left field. Two batters later, Badenhop unleashed a wild pitch to Harang allowing Encarnacion to score.

After the Marlins tied the game with a sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh the Reds took control in the bottom half of the inning. Jeff Keppinger followed a Patterson single with his third home run of the season to left field. After a Ken Griffey Jr. walk, Brandon Phillips blasted a two-run shot of his own to left to make it 8-4.

The runs came off of Florida reliever Taylor Tankersley (0-1).

"I didn't know that the final home run that Phillips hit was going to be the game winning run at that time, but you know especially in this ballpark you have to score when you can score," Baker said.

Florida responded with three runs in the top of the eighth. David Weathers, who worked 2/3 of an inning, gave up two runs on one hit and one walk. Jeremy Affeldt followed, pitching to one batter and surrendering a single, and a being charged with a run. Cincinnati closer Francisco Cordero finished off the inning to keep the score at 8-7.

Cordero also worked a scoreless ninth, recording sixth save of the year in the process.

The loss snaps the Marlins seven game winning streak, their longest since a nine game streak from August 20-29, 2006.