Jay Bruce's timing was perfect.
Bruce hit a go-ahead single as a pinch-hitter in his return from
the disabled list and Brandon Phillips homered to help the
Cincinnati Reds beat the Houston Astros 3-1 on Monday night.
Making his first appearance in more than two months, Bruce
bounced a two-run single through the right side to give Cincinnati
a 2-1 lead in the seventh inning.
"That was a lot of fun," he said. "It was pretty exciting to
be out that long and come back and help the team win."
The bases-loaded grounder barely eluded first baseman Lance
Berkman and second baseman Kaz Matsui, making a winner of Bronson
Arroyo.
"Sometimes placement is better than hitting the ball hard,"
Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "He couldn't have thrown the ball
any better through there."
Bruce broke his wrist making a diving catch against the New York
Mets on July 11. After his big hit Monday, he stayed in the game
and made a sliding catch of Miguel Tejada's liner leading off the
ninth.
Arroyo (13-12) allowed six hits and one run with no walks and
six strikeouts in seven innings. He also hit a batter with a pitch.
"You don't get too many games where you leave the game losing
by one and end up winning," Arroyo said. "It was nice to steal
that one back."
Arroyo is 5-4 with a 2.11 ERA over his last 13 starts. Baker was
glad to see his right-hander get rewarded for pitching well.
"Bronson deserved to win that one," Baker said. "He's been
pitching great, especially in the second half of the season. He was
masterful tonight."
Arthur Rhodes and Nick Masset teamed up to pitch a scoreless
eighth inning. Francisco Cordero worked the ninth for his 35th
save, one more than he totaled last season, his first with the
Reds.
Phillips added an insurance run with a one-out solo homer off
Jeff Fulchino in the eighth, his 20th of the season and first in 46
at-bats since Sept. 2 against Pittsburgh.
Houston left-hander Wandy Rodriguez was almost as effective as
Arroyo. Rodriguez (13-10) gave up just five hits and two runs with
two walks and eight strikeouts while pitching into the seventh
inning.
Rodriguez scattered four hits and allowed one runner past second
base before the Reds broke through in the seventh. Scott Rolen led
off with a walk and Jonny Gomes doubled into the left-field corner.
That's when Astros manager Cecil Cooper decided to bring in a
reliever.
"Wandy deserved a better fate than what he received," Cooper
said. "I take the blame for that. He was close to 100 pitches. You
can't let your starter lose the game."
Rodriguez wanted the chance to pitch out of the jam.
"I have no control over that," he said. "He says go, I go.
That's what I do."
Samuel Gervachio was brought in with Gomes on second and Rolen
on third. The right-hander struck out pinch-hitter Juan Francisco
before intentionally walking pinch-hitter Kevin Barker. Bruce was
sent up to bat for Arroyo. Houston brought in left-hander Wesley
Wright, who gave up Bruce's go-ahead hit.
"I'd rather be lucky than good," Bruce said of the seeing-eye
single. "My teammates battled all game, and I was glad to see that
ball get through and drive those guys in."
Arroyo had retired seven consecutive batters and 12 of 13 when
Berkman grounded a broken-bat single through the hole into left
field with two outs in the sixth. Carlos Lee followed by lining a
double up the gap to the right-center wall, with Berkman scoring
all the way from first base.
Back in the dugout, Astros pitcher Bud Norris fanned Berkman
with a towel.
Tejada lined a single to center, too sharply for Lee to score
from second, and after Cincinnati pitching coach Dick Pole visited
Arroyo on the mound, Hunter Pence flied out to Drew Stubbs one step
in front of the center-field fence.
NOTES: The Reds activated Bruce from the 15-day disabled list
and recalled Francisco from Triple-A Louisville. Francisco made his
major league debut. ... Cooper said rookie RHP Yorman Bazardo will
start Wednesday's series finale. The start will be Bazardo's third
of the season and first since allowing eight earned runs in two
innings in a 14-7 loss at Arizona on Aug. 28. ... Lee needs five
RBIs to reach 100 for the fifth consecutive season and sixth time
overall.
