• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Reds find late offense to surge past Mets

Jul 20, 2008 - 4:57 AM By Doug Tifft PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

CINCINNATI (Ticker) -- David Ross made sure Josh Fogg's latest start didn't go to waste, and rookie Joey Votto finished the job.

Ross singled in the go-ahead run in the sixth inning Saturday, sending the Cincinnati Reds to a 7-2 win over the New York Mets.

In a well-pitched game over the first six innings, the Reds scratched out the go-ahead run in the sixth when Edwin Encarnacion advanced to second base on a wild pitch and scored on Ross' two-out single to right to give Cincinnati a 3-2 advantage.

"That guy had my number tonight for a little while, so I finally just tried to battle (this time)," Ross said. "When you are not seeing a guy real well, you just try to battle your tail off."

In the seventh, Jeff Keppinger and Adam Dunn increased the lead with back-to-back RBI singles off Pedro Feliciano. Votto, who finished with three RBI on the night, completed the four-run frame with a two-run triple, the first of his career, to give the Reds a 7-2 cushion.

"It took my four months to complete the cycle," Votto joked.

Fogg (2-2) allowed two runs - one earned - and only walked one batter over six innings, benefiting from Cincinnati's defense that helped him out of a number of jams by turning three double plays behind him.

"I felt pretty good tonight and the defense played great behind me," Fogg said. "We had a few double plays and it is always nice for a starting pitcher to go out there and get two outs on one pitch."

The righthander, who posted his first win since April 9 despite a string of solid starts, also helped his own cause in the third inning with a leadoff single, coming around to score all the way from first base on Ken Griffey Jr.'s double off Mets lefthander Oliver Perez (6-6).

It was the 1,133rd double of Griffey's career, tying him with Tris Speaker for 11th on the all-time list.

Perez (6-6) went six frames, allowing three runs - two earned - and six hits with six strikeouts.

"It was one of those days that you don't feel good," Perez said. "You don't have your best fastball or slider and you have to do your best to keep your team in the game."

David Wright had a big night despite the loss, belting his 19th home run of the season into the upper deck in left in the fourth inning for the Mets, who have lost two straight after 10 consecutive victories.

Wright was frustrated after the game with his team's inability to get the type of clutch hits that Ross had delivered for his team.

"They executed when they needed to execute, and we did not," Wright said. "It was a poorly played game on our part."

After relievers Jeremy Affeldt and Mike Lincoln combined for a scoreless seventh, David Weathers and Bill Bray each worked a scoreless inning to polish off the victory for Cincinnati.