CINCINNATI, OH — The Cincinnati Bengals  officially announced this afternoon that the home game this Sunday is NOT a sellout and will be blacked out.

This is the first time in seven years that the team has not sold all the tickets to a home game.  The team [...]]]> By M.Bowman / Staff Contributor and Wire Reports

CINCINNATI, OH — The Cincinnati Bengals  officially announced this afternoon that the home game this Sunday is NOT a sellout and will be blacked out.

This is the first time in seven years that the team has not sold all the tickets to a home game.  The team will not say how many tickets are still available for the game.

The team is playing the Buffalo Bills at Paul Brown Stadium at 1 p.m.

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Randall Cobb #18 of the Kentucky Wildcats runs with the ball while defended by Sean Richardson #21 of the Vanderbilt Commodores during the game at Commonwealth Stadium on November 13, 2010 in Lexington, Kentucky. Kentucky won 38-20.

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Randall Cobb ran for a career-high 170 yards and two touchdowns as Kentucky [...]]]> Associated Press

Randall Cobb #18 of the Kentucky Wildcats runs with the ball while defended by Sean Richardson #21 of the Vanderbilt Commodores during the game at Commonwealth Stadium on November 13, 2010 in Lexington, Kentucky. Kentucky won 38-20.

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Randall Cobb ran for a career-high 170 yards and two touchdowns as Kentucky surged past Vanderbilt 38-20 on Saturday.

Cobb had touchdown runs of 5 and 73 yards to help the Wildcats (6-5, 2-5 Southeastern Conference) become bowl eligible for the fifth straight season. He finished with 279 total yards, breaking the school record for all-purpose yards in a single season in the process.

Derrick Locke ran for 145 yards and two scores in his first game in a month and quarterback Mike Hartline threw for 232 yards and a touchdown in his final home game.

Kennard Reeves rushed for a career-high 105 yards for the Commodores (2-8, 1-6), but Vanderbilt couldn’t make a 13-10 halftime lead stand up.

Cobb made sure of that. The junior said earlier in the week he’ll gauge his NFL prospects before deciding whether to return to school next fall.

He made a pretty compelling case for the pro scouts in attendance, showcasing why he’s become one of the nation’s most versatile and valuable players.

The Wildcats certainly needed it after slogging through another uninspired first half.

The defense struggled to keep the SEC’s worst offense in check and the offense looked sporadic even with Locke’s return to the lineup after missing four games with a shoulder injury.

Vanderbilt had no such problems. The Commodores rolled 242 yards in the first 30 minutes, heady territory for a team that averages just 267 yards a game.

Reeves, thrust into a starting role due to a myriad of injuries, found gaping holes to run through and wide receiver Jonathan Krause made a couple of big plays to keep the Wildcats on their heels.

Yet Kentucky, as it has done most of the season, gathered itself at halftime and turned to Cobb to get things moving in the right direction.

He lined up at quarterback in the WildCobb formation on Kentucky’s first possession of the half, took the snap, ran to his left then cut back to his right to race 73 yards for a touchdown to give the Wildcats the lead.

Cobb was at it again two possessions later, taking the snap and retreating 10 yards before somehow weaving his way through the Vanderbilt defense for a 52-yard gain.

Locke’s 1-yard touchdown dive four plays later put Kentucky up 24-13, and the Wildcats poured it on.

Hartline hit a wide-open Chris Matthews for a 55-yard score and Locke finished the Commodores off with an 83-yard touchdown run.

The victory takes some of the pressure off the Wildcats heading into their season finale at Tennessee in two weeks. Kentucky hasn’t beaten the Volunteers in more than a quarter century, and coach Joker Phillips acknowledged it was important for his team to become bowl eligible before heading to Knoxville.

Kentucky outgained Vanderbilt 370-158 in the second half to beat the Commodores for the sixth time in the last seven meetings.

The rivalry has been one-sided in recent years, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been heated. This time was no different. The team combined for 16 penalties and a handful of skirmishes. Kentucky cornerback Martavius Neloms and Vanderbilt’s Udom Umoh were ejected in the fourth quarter after trading punches.

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Jay Bruce returned from a two-week layoff and homered in each of his first two at-bats Monday night. Bruce missed the last two weeks because of a strained abdomen.

CINCINNATI — No one can call the Cincinnati Reds losers anymore.

Jay Bruce returned from a two-week layoff and homered in each of his first [...]]]> Associated Press

Jay Bruce returned from a two-week layoff and homered in each of his first two at-bats Monday night. Bruce missed the last two weeks because of a strained abdomen.

CINCINNATI — No one can call the Cincinnati Reds losers anymore.

Jay Bruce returned from a two-week layoff and homered in each of his first two at-bats Monday night, and the Reds went deep five times in all during a 7-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks that secured their first winning season since 2000.

The Reds’ nine-year streak of losing seasons was their longest in a half-century. The last time they finished above .500, Ken Griffey Jr. was in his first season with his hometown team.

“I don’t know if it means a lot to this group of guys,” starter Bronson Arroyo said. “We weren’t around for all the hard times. We’re a young team. For the organization and the city, it’s got to be satisfying.”

With each win, the NL Central leaders close in on another breakthrough — their first playoff appearance since 1995. They moved seven games ahead of second-place St. Louis, which lost to the Cubs 5-1.

“Winning the division is the next step,” manager Dusty Baker said. “The next step is the playoffs. We’ve got one step out of the way. There’s three or four more to go.”

They’re starting to get some of their injured players back along the way.

Bruce missed the last two weeks because of a strained abdomen. He hit a solo homer and a two-run shot off Barry Enright (6-4), and later added an RBI single.

When he got to the dugout after his second homer, catcher Ramon Hernandez had a question.

“He said, ‘That easy, huh?’ ” Bruce said. “I said, ‘No, it’s not that easy.’ ”

The Reds made it look easy all-around. Drew Stubbs, Joey Votto and Orlando Cabrera added solo homers. Arroyo (15-10) gave up a pair of solo shots in six innings while reaching 15 wins for the third straight season.

Miguel Montero and Ryan Church hit back-to-back homers in the second inning. Arroyo gave up seven hits overall and struck out a season-high eight even though he felt tired.

“The velocity was way down on my fastball,” said Arroyo, who was clocked around 84 mph. “You don’t have your zip sometimes.”

Cincinnati sold only 12,061 tickets — its smallest crowd this season — for the breakthrough win.

The Reds took two of three last weekend from Pittsburgh despite big problems in the bullpen, which blew three save chances and set up a pair of extra-inning games. The home run barrage prevented any late drama this time.

Arizona fell to 0-4 this season against Cincinnati. The Diamondbacks have lost eight of their last nine overall.

The Reds made a trade before the game to help their injury-thinned outfield, acquiring Willie Bloomquist from the Royals. Bloomquist will join the team on Tuesday.

Cincinnati played the weekend series against Pittsburgh with only two fully healthy experienced outfielders — Jonny Gomes in left and Stubbs in center. Bruce was originally out of Monday’s lineup, but Baker changed his mind because outfielder Chris Heisey was sore.

Bruce reassured Baker that he felt fine.

Better than fine, as it turned out.

“That was more than we could ask for right there,” Baker said. “It was a big day for Jay. It was a big day for us. We needed that badly.”

Bruce hit the fifth pitch he saw into the seats in right field, picking up his power surge. The outfielder was working on a stretch of five homers in four games when he pulled an abdominal muscle during batting practice on Aug. 31, forcing him from the lineup.

In his next at-bat, Bruce hit a two-run shot off Enright, who hadn’t allowed more than two homers in any of his other 13 starts during his debut season. Enright gave up seven hits and five runs in only three innings, by far his shortest start so far.

“Balls were middle-up and my breaking ball was flat,” he said.

Game notes

Diamondbacks 3B Mark Reynolds got a day of rest. He has a sore hand and is in an 0-for-23 slump. … Arizona called up C Konrad Schmidt, who batted .315 at Double-A Mobile. … Diamondbacks pinch-hitter Rusty Ryal fouled off 10 pitches with two strikes against LHP Bill Bray. He eventually struck out on the 16th pitch. … It was Bruce’s 19th multihomer game, his fourth this season. He hit three in a 7-1 win over the Cubs on Aug. 27 at Great American Ball Park. … Reds reliever Jordan Smith was ejected by plate umpire John Hirschbeck for complaining about ball-and-strike calls as he left the field. … Brandon Phillips ended an 0-for-15 slump with a single in the eighth.

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CINCINNATI — With only three weeks left in the regular season, the Reds added some bench depth by acquiring utility player Willie Bloomquist from the Royals for a player to be named or cash considerations.

Bloomquist was scratched from the Kansas City lineup Monday afternoon about a half-hour before a game against the A’s. [...]]]> Associated Press

CINCINNATI — With only three weeks left in the regular season, the Reds added some bench depth by acquiring utility player Willie Bloomquist from the Royals for a player to be named or cash considerations.

Bloomquist was scratched from the Kansas City lineup Monday afternoon about a half-hour before a game against the A’s. He wasn’t expected to join the Reds until Tuesday.

Able to play every position on the field, except pitcher and catcher, Bloomquist was hitting .265 in 72 games for the Royals with three homers, 17 RBIs and eight steals.

“He’s a much-needed guy,” Reds manager Dusty Baker said. “He plays all over everywhere. He plays good outfield, which is where we can really use him right now. He’s a good pinch-runner and pinch-hitter, especially against left-handed pitching. We need him right now. We’ve been searching for somebody like him for a couple of weeks.”

Bloomquist, a right-handed hitter who broke into the Majors with the Mariners in 2002, is a .275 lifetime hitter vs. lefties compared to .256 against right-handers. As a pinch-hitter, he’s batting .278.

To make room for Bloomquist on the 40-man roster, right-handed reliever Enerio Del Rosario was designated for assignment. Del Rosario spent most of the season at Triple-A Louisville but had a 2.08 ERA in nine big league appearances for the Reds.

The Reds had scouted Bloomquist lately and liked what they saw. They decided to go outside of the organization instead of calling up an outfielder like slugger Wladimir Balentien from Triple-A Louisville.

“We considered that, but right now, we need somebody that can play more positions,” Reds general manager Walt Jocketty said. “This guy is a perfect guy for our situation. He’s a perfect National League player because he plays so many different positions.”

Because the trade was executed after Aug. 31, Bloomquist is ineligible for the Reds’ postseason roster. To replace a disabled player in the postseason, a player must have been in that organization prior to Aug. 31.

However, the roster has been banged up with injuries lately, and Cincinnati played 12 straight games with only three outfielders until Jay Bruce returned on Monday. Jim Edmonds is still working his way back from an oblique injury and Laynce Nix is on the disabled list with a sprained left ankle.

“We’ll have to be careful with Jay,” Jocketty said. “Edmonds is still not 100 percent when he gets back. Heisey is not 100 percent. We needed to have somebody and give these guys a little break from time to time.”

And for three weeks at least, that somebody is Bloomquist.

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Western's Jared Clendenin, left, and Quanterus Smith, right, pressure Kentucky back-up quarterback Morgan Newton during the fourth quarter of their football game in Lexington.

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Randall Cobb did it all, accounting for three touchdowns to lead Kentucky to a 63-28 victory over Western Kentucky on Saturday night.

The junior wide receiver caught [...]]]> Associated Press

Western's Jared Clendenin, left, and Quanterus Smith, right, pressure Kentucky back-up quarterback Morgan Newton during the fourth quarter of their football game in Lexington.

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Randall Cobb did it all, accounting for three touchdowns to lead Kentucky to a 63-28 victory over Western Kentucky on Saturday night.

The junior wide receiver caught a score, threw for another and returned a punt 50 yards to the end zone as the Wildcats (2-0) outclassed the Hilltoppers to post their 17th straight regular season nonconference win.

Quarterback Mike Hartline completed 16 of 20 passes for 213 yards and tied a career-high with three touchdowns. Derrick Locke ran for 102 yards and a score as Kentucky overpowered the Hilltoppers (0-2) when it mattered.

Bobby Rainey ran for 184 yards and two touchdowns for Western Kentucky but couldn’t stop the Hilltoppers from dropping their 22nd straight game, the longest active losing streak in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

Kentucky’s point total was its highest in a regulation game since scoring 77 against UTEP in 2002.

Western Kentucky coach Willie Taggart had hoped the Hilltoppers could show the Wildcats that “little brother” is starting to grow up.

Though Western Kentucky played much better than it did in a 41-3 loss at Commonwealth Stadium two years ago, the program, which is in its second season as a full-fledged member of the BCS, couldn’t match Kentucky’s depth.

And the Hilltoppers certainly couldn’t match Cobb. Or catch him, for that matter.

Cobb, a first-team All-Southeastern Conference selection a year ago, showcased his many talents against the Hilltoppers and did it with his typical ease.

He converted a fourth-and-1 on Kentucky’s first drive to set up a touchdown, then later put Kentucky up 21-7 with a scintillating punt return. He caught the ball at midfield, shook a couple of defenders then sprinted down the right sideline for the score.

Cobb wasn’t done. The former starting quarterback tossed a 15-yard touchdown pass to fullback Moncell Allen out of the “WildCobb” formation and completed his rare triple crown with a ridiculously easy 35-yard touchdown reception from Hartline that put the Wildcats up 49-21 in the third quarter.

Cobb finished with 191 total yards as part of an efficient — if not always spectacular — Wildcat offense. Kentucky racked up 482 yards and did whatever it wanted against an overmatched Hilltoppers defense.

Yet the Wildcats were hardly perfect. Rainey became the first Western Kentucky back in 11 years to top 150 yards in consecutive weeks. He put up 155 yards in a loss to Nebraska in the season-opener and was even better against Kentucky.

He darted down the sideline on the game’s third play for a 59-yard score and never really stopped. He later added a 1-yard plunge as the Hilltoppers continued to fight despite a nightmarish stretch in the first half when they allowed the Wildcats to reel off 35 straight points.

Kentucky allowed Western Kentucky to put together a pair of 80-yard scoring drives in the second half, not exactly the kind of performance coach Joker Phillips is looking for with a trip to Gainesville, Fla., looming in two weeks.

Even so, the Wildcats were never in any real danger. Not with Cobb and Locke doing what they do. Taggart said during the week his advice to his players when trying to tackle Kentucky’s dynamic duo was simple: “Hold on and wait for help.”

It didn’t come often enough for the Hilltoppers to end their miserable streak. They’ll try to snap it next week at home against Indiana while Kentucky will try to improve to 3-0 for the third time in the last four years against Akron.

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Homer Bailey throws against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first inning of a baseball game, Friday, Sept. 10, 2010

CINCINNATI — A broken-bat grounder. A low throw. A dropped ball. A lot of things went right to help the Cincinnati Reds break out of their deepest slump of the season.

They’ll take it all.

Francisco [...]]]> Associated Press

Homer Bailey throws against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first inning of a baseball game, Friday, Sept. 10, 2010

CINCINNATI — A broken-bat grounder. A low throw. A dropped ball. A lot of things went right to help the Cincinnati Reds break out of their deepest slump of the season.

They’ll take it all.

Francisco Cordero blew a two-run lead in the ninth, but the Reds recovered on Jonny Gomes’ bases-loaded grounder in the 12th inning Friday night, getting a slump-busting 4-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The NL Central leaders had dropped a season-high five in a row, whittling their lead over St. Louis from eight to five games. The Reds’ comeback win and the Cardinals’ 8-6 loss in Atlanta rebuilt the cushion to six.

“It’s been a while since we celebrated,” manager Dusty Baker said. “It feels like a month.”

The slump lasted only a week. It ended with more drama.

Chris Heisey started the 12th with a bunt single off Wilfredo Ledezma (0-2), who then hit Joey Votto. Scott Rolen singled off Joel Hanrahan to load the bases. Gomes broke his bat on a soft grounder to shortstop Ronny Cedeno, whose low throw to the plate bounced off the mitt of catcher Chris Snyder for an error, allowing Heisey to score.

“Bases loaded, nobody out, put it in play and anything’s possible,” Gomes said. “I shattered my bat.”

Plate umpire Tim Timmons was ready to call Heisey out when he saw the ball drop from Snyder’s glove.

“I botched it,” Snyder said. “Inexcusable. I just clanked it. Ronny did everything he could. That’s a tough play on his end. I had to pick him up. I didn’t do it.”

Jordan Smith (2-2) retired the last two Pirates.

The Reds had to go 12 innings — matching their longest game of the season — to pull it out after Cordero failed.

Cordero came on with a 3-1 lead in the ninth and let it slip away in 15 pitches. He gave up singles to four of his five batters, including run-scoring hits by Jose Tabata and Pedro Alvarez. It was Cordero’s seventh blown save in 42 chances, ending his streak of 11 straight.

“To [Cordero's] credit, he hasn’t been out there in six days,” Baker said. “Before that, he was throwing great.”

Cuban left-hander Aroldis Chapman pitched the 11th, fanning two of the three Pirates. Eight of his 10 pitches hit triple digits on the radar gun, topping out at 103 mph.

The Reds have won 19 of their last 25 games against the Pirates, who have clinched their record 18th straight losing season. With 80 wins, Cincinnati is on the verge of emerging from its longest losing streak in a half-century — no winning record since 2000.

Until Cordero’s meltdown, right-hander Homer Bailey was in line to win his sixth straight against the Pirates. The right-hander struck out a career-high nine in seven innings, allowing only Snyder’s solo homer.

Bailey is 5-0 in six career starts against Pittsburgh with a 1.52 ERA. Five of his 15 career wins are against Pittsburgh.

The Reds scored three runs with two outs in the third inning off left-hander Paul Maholm. Rolen had an RBI double, Drew Stubbs singled for a 2-1 lead, and Paul Janish singled home another run. Janish, filling in at shortstop while Orlando Cabrera recovers from a strained abdomen, has hit safely in a season-high seven games.

Pittsburgh’s Neil Walker turned 25 and singled off Cordero in the ninth, extending his career-best hitting streak to 16 games. It’s the longest by a Pirates rookie since Rennie Stennett hit in 18 straight in 1971.

Votto turned 27 and went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts. He was also hit by a pitches twice.

Game notes

The Pirates released INF Akinori Iwamura, who batted .182 in 54 games. C Erik Kratz cleared waivers and was assigned outright to the minors. … The Reds activated OF Jim Edmonds (strained abdominal muscle) and RH Mike Leake (tired pitching shoulder) off the 15-day DL. Leake won’t pitch for now, but could be used to hit or run. … Bench coach Chris Speier coached third base in place of Mark Berry, who had a sore back.

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7:10 PM ET, September 11, 2010 Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati, Ohio

Edinson Volquez is getting another chance to find a place in the Cincinnati Reds’ rotation.

Recalled from the minors, Volquez looks to help the NL Central-leading Reds to a second straight victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday [...]]]> STATS LLC

7:10 PM ET, September 11, 2010 Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati, Ohio

Edinson Volquez is getting another chance to find a place in the Cincinnati Reds’ rotation.

Recalled from the minors, Volquez looks to help the NL Central-leading Reds to a second straight victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday night at Great American Ballpark.

Volquez (3-2, 6.17 ERA) returns to the majors after spending time at Class-A Dayton to work on his mechanics. The right-hander has been erratic since he returned in July after missing a year because of reconstructive elbow surgery. He is now taking the place of the struggling Aaron Harang, who has been moved to the bullpen.

Volquez, who allowed 10 runs and walked six in 5 1/3 innings while going 0-1 in his last two major league starts, posted a 1.38 ERA in two outings at Dayton.

“Nobody wants to go down,” Volquez told the Reds’ official website. “I knew I had to pitch somewhere to find my rhythm. Sometimes you have to go back to go forward. It didn’t bother me.”

Volquez is 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA in four starts against the Pirates, but has not faced them since 2008.

He’ll try to help the Reds (80-61) win consecutive games for the first time this month after they snapped a five-game skid with a 4-3, 12-inning win over Pittsburgh on Friday.

“It’s been a while since we celebrated,” manager Dusty Baker said after his team extended its lead over St. Louis in the Central to six games. “It feels like a month.”

Francisco Cordero blew a two-run lead in the ninth, but the Reds won three innings later on a bases-loaded grounder off the bat of Jonny Gomes. Scott Rolen and Paul Janish had two hits and an RBI each as the Reds, who had just finished a 1-6 road trip, won their fifth straight home game .

The Reds, who have won 19 of their last 25 meetings with the Pirates (47-93), need two more victories to clinch their first winning season since 2000.

Rolen is 7 for 17 with five RBIs in his last four games at Great American Ballpark. He is 4 for 10 with a homer off scheduled Pittsburgh starter Charlie Morton (1-11, 9.66).

The right-hander, 0-6 with a 9.00 ERA since beating the Cubs on May 5, allowed six runs — two earned — over 3 2/3 innings of an 8-1 loss to Washington on Sunday — his second start since coming off the disabled list with shoulder fatigue.

“He’s not where we’d like to get him,” manager John Russell told the Pirates’ official website.

Morton is 1-4 with a 6.84 lifetime ERA against the Reds, including 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA this season.

The Pirates have lost 11 of their last 13 games at Cincinnati, including three in a row. They are a major league-worst 14-54 on the road, where they have dropped 16 of their last 17 overall.

Pittsburgh second baseman Neil Walker is batting .366 with 16 RBIs during a career-high 16-game hitting streak — the longest by a Pirates rookie since 1971, when Rennie Stennett hit in 18 straight.

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Cueto and the Reds lost to Colorado Rockies 4-3 Tuesday night before a crowd of 29,164 at Coors Field.

DENVER — Carlos Gonzalez is hearing something other than the crack of his bat at home plate in Coors Field.

Colorado Rockies fans have started paying homage to the outfielder, chanting “M-V-P” in recognition of [...]]]> Associated Press

Cueto and the Reds lost to Colorado Rockies 4-3 Tuesday night before a crowd of 29,164 at Coors Field.

DENVER — Carlos Gonzalez is hearing something other than the crack of his bat at home plate in Coors Field.

Colorado Rockies fans have started paying homage to the outfielder, chanting “M-V-P” in recognition of his memorable season.

Gonzalez hit a three-run homer to help the rolling Rockies beat the Cincinnati Reds 4-3 on Tuesday night for their fifth consecutive win.

Gonzalez’s homer in the opening inning was his 32nd of the season and gave him 100 RBIs. He’s in prime position to challenge for the NL Triple Crown, leading in average (.340), taking over the top spot in RBIs and vaulting into a third-place tie with Joey Votto and Mark Reynolds in homers.

These day, the best way to pitch to Gonzalez may be to not pitch to him at all.

“What we’re watching and witnessing right now offensively, obviously for a kid in the early stage of his career that he’s in, it’s something special. There’s no question about it,” Rockies manager Jim Tracy said.

And it doesn’t end with his offense. The player teammates refer to as “CarGo” also has quite the left arm, demonstrating that in the fifth when he raced over in left to scoop up a ball, twirled and fired a strike to second to nip Brandon Phillips as he tried to stretch a single into extra bases.

His scorching play is definitely rubbing off on the Rockies.

Led by Gonzalez’s breakout season, the Rockies have climbed back into the thick of the wild card race. They’re now 4 1/2 games behind the Atlanta Braves, who were passed up in the NL East by Philadelphia on Tuesday. They’re also 4 1/2 behind San Diego in the NL West.

“We’re not done yet,” said Gonzalez, who extended his hitting streak to a career-high 15 games. “I’m happy I got to 100, but there’s more to come. We need to concentrate and do our best right now.”

Cincinnati dropped its third straight, but still maintained a six-game lead over St. Louis, which lost to Milwaukee 4-2.

“Fortunately for us we didn’t lose any ground,” Red manager Dusty Baker said. “It’s one less day on the schedule. We need to win these next two games.”

Jhoulys Chacin (8-9) allowed two runs and six hits in six innings for Colorado. The rookie right-hander has been stellar of late, turning in four consecutive outings of two earned runs or less.

“I felt really good out there,” he said. “My fastball was really good today.”

Johnny Cueto (12-5) was back with the Reds after missing a few days to attend the funeral of a family member in the Dominican Republic. The righty made an early mistake to Gonzalez but then settled in, lasting six innings and giving up four runs, three earned.

“It was tough, but I don’t take those things into the game,” Cueto said through an interpreter. “What happened, happened. I have it in my heart. And when I go there [the mound], I put my best in my job. This is my job.”

Miguel Olivo drove in what proved to be the decisive run with an RBI double in the sixth. The inning was set up when the normally sure-handed Phillips booted Seth Smith’s two-out grounder to second.

A hustling Votto paved the way for a two-run fourth inning.

With two outs and two on, Ramon Hernandez hit a grounder to third baseman Melvin Mora, who tried to beat Votto to the bag instead of throwing to first. Votto was safe by a step and Drew Stubbs followed with a two-run single just over the head of shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, cutting the deficit to 3-2.

Gonzalez got the Rockies going early, hitting a drive to left after Eric Young Jr. and Dexter Fowler led off with singles.

An inning later, with runners on second and third and two outs, the Reds elected to intentionally walk Gonzalez — a ploy that paid off as Tulowitzki grounded out to end the threat.

That’s the way teams may start pitching to Gonzalez, especially with Gonzalez seeing the ball so well.

“Not every at-bat,” he said, grinning. “If I feel the same way every at-bat, I’d be a machine.”

Game notes

Reds OF Jay Bruce (right side strain) took 50 swings in the indoor batting cage and is scheduled to take batting practice Wednesday. He probably won’t play in the series with the Rockies, but may over the weekend against Pittsburgh. … Rockies LHP Jeff Francis (shoulder soreness) threw a light bullpen session Tuesday.

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Adam Dunn broke out of a prolonged slump with a homer and five RBI, helping the Washington Nationals to a 14-5 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday night.

WASHINGTON — Nationals manager Jim Riggleman had a hunch and it paid off. So did Adam Dunn’s video session, which discovered an easily [...]]]> Associated Press

Adam Dunn broke out of a prolonged slump with a homer and five RBI, helping the Washington Nationals to a 14-5 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday night.

WASHINGTON — Nationals manager Jim Riggleman had a hunch and it paid off. So did Adam Dunn’s video session, which discovered an easily correctible mechanical flaw.

Dunn broke out of a prolonged slump with a homer and five RBIs, sending Washington to a 14-5 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday night.

“We needed a win — bad,” said Michael Morse, who had a career-high four hits. “The bats came alive.”

Dunn was in an 8-for-66 skid over 20 games when he doubled home two runs for a 4-3 Nationals lead in a four-run third inning. With the score tied at 5 in the fifth, Dunn hit a three-run shot, his 32nd of the season and first since Aug. 11.

“I wouldn’t say I’m out of [the slump],” Dunn said. “The last couple of days I’ve been feeling really good and taking some good swings, trying to figure out why I was missing some pitches. We went back and looked over some tape and it was just a minor mechanical deal.”

Dunn was shuffled from cleanup to fifth in Riggleman’s new-look batting order, which produced the most runs the Nationals have scored at home since relocating from Montreal to Washington before the 2005 season.

“We were just trying to get some people a little different feel when they went up to the plate,” Riggleman said.

Dunn, however, downplayed the effect of the reconfigured lineup.

“I could care less where I hit,” he said.

Roger Bernadina, moved to third in the order, homered for the Nationals, who had lost five of six.

Livan Hernandez (9-9) allowed five runs and eight hits in 6 1/3 innings to win for the first time in five starts.

But the Nationals had to overcome two wacky interference calls that went against them and wiped runs off the scoreboard.

“We scored a lot of runs. We fight and fight to try and survive,” Hernandez said.

All eight of the runs St. Louis starter Kyle Lohse allowed came with two outs.

“I would get two outs and just couldn’t put them away for the third out. I just made a lot of bad pitches when it got to two outs,” he said.

The Cardinals took a 3-0 lead in the first. Skip Schumaker singled, moved to second on a groundout and scored on Albert Pujols’ ground-rule double down the left-field line. After Matt Holliday popped out, Jon Jay homered to right, his fourth of the season.

Ivan Rodriguez’s RBI single got Washington on the board in the second.

The Nationals went ahead 5-3 in the third, and a controversial interference call might have cost them another run.

With Hernandez and Adam Kennedy on via singles, Ian Desmond tried to bunt the runners up. Desmond’s sacrifice was a beauty and Lohse threw wildly past first, allowing Hernandez to score. But Desmond was called out by plate umpire Dan Bellino for running inside the baseline and the sacrifice was nullified.

After Bernadina was called out on strikes, Ryan Zimmerman singled a run home, Dunn hit a two-run double and Morse added an RBI single.

RBI doubles by Lohse and Felipe Lopez tied it in the St. Louis fifth.

In the bottom of the inning, Bernadina and Zimmerman singled with two down before Dunn drove a 3-2 fastball from Lohse into the first row of the center-field stands.

“That ball to Dunn,” Lohse said, “it just ran right back, inner third. Just stupid things like that cost your team a chance to win.”

Lohse (2-6) lasted five innings, yielding eight runs and 11 hits.

Rodriguez had another RBI single in a six-run eighth and pinch-hitter Willie Harris appeared to hit a three-run double only to have Nyjer Morgan called out at home on a weird play. Morgan collided with catcher Bryan Anderson in front of the plate and missed touching home. Third base umpire Angel Hernandez ruled Morgan out because Rodriguez, who had just scored on the play, grabbed Morgan around the waist and pushed him back toward the plate.

Until postgame replays proved otherwise to him, Morgan was convinced he had touched home. Cardinals manager Tony La Russa bristled at the notion that the call was out of the ordinary.

“[Morgan] misses the plate and gets interfered [with] — where’s the crazy call? What’s crazy about it?” La Russa said. “No, it’s the rule. They screwed up twice and they got nailed for it twice.”

Anderson was miffed that Morgan ran into him, calling the play “a cheap shot.”

“I turned around and said some things to [Morgan],” Anderson said. “I mean, it’s going to take a little bit bigger of a guy to take me down.”

Kennedy singled home Harris for a 12-5 lead, and Bernadina later homered to right-center.

Game notes

Morgan batted eighth for the first time this season. … St. Louis RHP Ryan Franklin (stiff neck) was unavailable. … Washington first base coach Dan Radison and LHP Scott Olsen were ejected for arguing the interference call against Desmond. … Nineteen of the 56 runs Lohse has allowed this season have come in the third inning.

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Homer Bailey pitched seven solid innings, Brandon Phillips had three hits and three RBI, and the Reds beat the Dodgers 3-1 Friday night.

LOS ANGELES — The Cincinnati Reds kept rolling along during Johnny Cueto‘s seven-game suspension thanks to a pair of outstanding starts by Homer Bailey.

The right-hander pitched seven solid innings Friday [...]]]> Associated Press

Homer Bailey pitched seven solid innings, Brandon Phillips had three hits and three RBI, and the Reds beat the Dodgers 3-1 Friday night.

LOS ANGELES — The Cincinnati Reds kept rolling along during Johnny Cueto‘s seven-game suspension thanks to a pair of outstanding starts by Homer Bailey.

The right-hander pitched seven solid innings Friday night and the National League Central leaders beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-1 for their season-high seventh victory in a row.

“It wasn’t any extra stress,” Bailey said. “You start remembering how every single day when you showed up to do rehab, you wish you were playing. And that definitely comes out. I knew I was throwing the ball well before I got hurt, so I just tried to carry it over into the games.”

Bailey (3-2) allowed a run and four hits, struck out six and walked two in his second outing since coming off the disabled list. This past Sunday, he tossed six innings of three-hit ball in a 2-0 win against Florida after missing almost three months because of inflammation in his shoulder.

“We needed that, and we needed it badly,” manager Dusty Baker said. “We left him down in the minors [on his rehab stint] a little bit longer than he wanted us to and we wanted to. But we wanted him to be ready big time when he got back here. More importantly, he wanted it. And when a pitcher wants it, that gives everybody a lot more confidence.”

Cueto finished serving the seven-game ban he received for his actions during the Reds’ bench-clearing brawl with St. Louis on Aug. 10, when he was ejected for kicking several Cardinals players while pinned against the home plate screen. He will start Saturday night.

“We really missed Cueto, but we’re happy that he’s pitching tomorrow,” said second baseman Brandon Phillips, whose trash-talking episode with Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina triggered the melee. “Tonight showed you how deep we are with our team. We have a lot of pitching prospects and guys who come through when they need to. But we’re looking forward to having Cueto back.”

Arthur Rhodes pitched a perfect eighth and Francisco Cordero a scoreless ninth for his 33rd save in 39 attempts.

The Reds had lost their previous 12 games at Dodger Stadium since winning on July 28, 2005.

“I’m very happy that we ended this drought, because coming here is not fun,” said Phillips, who backed Bailey with three hits and three RBIs.

The win, coupled with St. Louis’ home loss to San Francisco, increased Cincinnati’s division lead to 4 1/2 games — the Reds’ largest margin since May 18, 2002, when they held a five-game lead before finishing in third place. They are seeking their first division title since 1995, when they swept the Dodgers in the first round of the postseason.

Cincinnati (71-51) has won eight straight on the road and is a season-high 20 games over .500.

“It’s gratifying to be in first place,” Baker said. “This team and this organization hasn’t been in first place for many years. The last four years here had been tough. It was tough on everybody — especially me because people know how I like to win. Winning solves a lot of problems and creates a lot of camaraderie. You can overlook a lot of small things, like people cutting me off today on the freeway. It didn’t bother me as much.”

Dodgers rookie Carlos Monasterios (3-4) was charged with three runs and eight hits over 4 1/3 innings and had six strikeouts, a career high. Two of the runs were unearned, the result of his throwing error in the fourth. The 24-year-old right-hander came out of the bullpen to make his ninth big league start because Vicente Padilla went on the disabled list with a bulging disk in his neck.

Jamey Carroll drew a leadoff walk in the third for the Dodgers and scored the tying run on Ryan Theriot’s bunt single with two outs.

Phillips had an RBI single in the second and a two-run single in the fourth, both with two outs.

“If Carlos was able to make a decent throw to first, it ends up being a good outing,” Los Angeles pitching coach Rick Honeycutt said. “I thought he held his composure pretty good. But Phillips is a good hitter. He got a pitch down in the zone where he could handle it and he hit it up the middle.”

Game notes

Cincinnati SS Orlando Cabrera, who missed his 15th straight game because of a strained muscle on his left side, said he thinks he’ll be able to come off the disabled list Sunday when the Reds face LHP Clayton Kershaw. … The Dodgers have committed 83 errors — 35 more than the Reds, who have the fewest in the majors. … Dodgers RHP Octavio Dotel, who threw three wild pitches in the 10th inning of Wednesday’s 3-2 loss to Colorado, retired all six batters he faced and struck out three after two hitless innings by rookie Kenley Jansen.

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