Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Padres	0	0	0	6	0	0	0	0	0	6	10	1
Reds	1	0	5	0	0	0	1	0	-	7	9	1

Boxscore

The Reds bounced back from the series-opening loss against the Padres to win last night, 6-7.

Homer Bailey got the start, and he was great through 3 innings of work. Then some dark magic befell him in the fourth and he was out of the game before he could even get the third out. Ultimately he was credited with 6 runs (earned) on 9 hits and 2 walks.

Sam LeCure came in for long relief and put in the next 2.1 innings of work. He allowed 0 runs on 1 hit and 1 walk. Sean Marshall worked the next 2.0 followed by Aroldis Chapman for the ninth, and neither allowed so much as a baserunner. That’s the strong bullpen we know and love.

On the offense, things were gliding along merrily. Chris Heisey led off the first inning with a double and Ryan Ludwick knocked him in four batters later to give the Reds the very early lead. Then they just tacked on more in the bottom of the third: Ludwick hit a 3-run homer and Todd Frazier hit a 2-run shot two batters later.

It felt like a pretty safe lead until the tiki curse caught up with Bailey in the very next inning and it was tied at 6. Fortunately, Brandon Phillips contributed a solo shot in the seventh, just before the left-calf strain he’s been battling pulled him out of the game. He’s expected to be out no less than a few days. Good thing he got his turn to be hero over with.

The win brings the Reds’ record to 62-41, best in Major League Baseball. Tonight they continue the 4-game set with the Padres at 7:10 p.m. in Great American Ball Park. Bronson Arroyo (RHP, 6-6, 3.76 ERA) takes on Kip Wells (RHP, 2-3, 3.82 ERA).

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Padres	0	5	4	1	0	0	0	1	0	11	11	0
Reds	3	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	5	7	1

Boxscore

It was the kind of shelling the Reds haven’t been the victim of in a long, long time. The Padres put their runs on the board so early that the optimistic among us kept thinking the Reds might come back, but ultimately we all ended up feeling kind of sheepish after getting nothing in return for all our hoping.

Mike Leake started for the Reds and ouch. 1.2 innings of work, including 5 runs (earned) on 5 hits and 3 walks. Alfredo Simon was only slightly less ouchy: 2.1 innings 5 runs (earned) on 4 hits and 3 walks.

Bill Bray did well with his chance, and didn’t allow any hits in his 2.0 innings. He did, however, walk 3 guys. Walks were a major plot thread in the story arc of pitching suckitude, with all the Reds’ pitchers combining for 11 walks. That’s not only the season high, it beats out the previous season high of 7 by 36%.

Jose Arredondo escaped the bases on balls bug in his 2.0 innings but did allow another run (earned) on 2 hits. Logan Ondrusek was back to walking guys in the ninth.

It looked so good for the Reds at the beginning. They drew first blood, putting 3 on the board in the bottom of the first when Jay Bruce doubled, Scott Rolen walked, and Ryan Ludwick knocked both of them in. All of that after Drew Stubbs had already hit a solo shot to right field. You get the feeling Stubbs doesn’t want to be traded.

Bruce hit his 21st home run of the season in the bottom of the third, again, reigniting the hope of the fans. But the only other scoring would turn out to be Rolen knocking in Stubbs in a fifth inning rally that didn’t end up rallying very much.

The loss brings the Reds’ record to 61-41. They continue to lead the NLC by 3 games. It just feels worse than that thanks to the sudden shift from the seemingly effortless victories to painful struggles. The series against the Padres continues tonight at 7:10 p.m. Homer Bailey (RHP, 9-6, 3.53 ERA) takes on Jason Marquis (RHP, 4-5, 3.48 ERA).

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Reds (60-40)	0	2	1	0	4	1	0	1	0	9	9	2
Rockies (37-62)	3	0	1	0	1	0	2	0	0	7	13	0

Boxscore

After having just one home run in the last five games, the Cincinnati Reds had five home runs in one game to defeat the Colorado Rockies 9-7.

Johnny Cueto started for the Reds and was uncharacteristically bad, allowing 3 runs in the first inning. And he was lucky. The first four batters reached base via 3 straight singles and a double. After that, Cueto struggled, but managed to battle through and give the Reds time to come back. Cueto’s final line was 6 innings, 10 hits, 5 runs, 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts. Thanks to the offense, he even got his 13th win.

In the top of the second, Ryan Ludwick and Todd Frazier both hit solo home runs to bring the Reds within 1. In the very next inning, Drew Stubbs tied it at 3 with his own solo shot. The 5th was when the Reds took the lead, never to give it up again, thanks to a 4-run outburst, this time without the help of homers. Zack Cozart and Drew Stubbs singled in a run apiece, and Brandon Phillips drove in 2 with a double.

The bullpen was a little shaky last night, with Jose Arredondo allowing a couple to score in the 7th, but Scott Rolen added his own solo home run in the 6th, and Ludwick hit his second solo shot in the 8th.

Aroldis Chapman finished the 9th for the save and the Reds won the series while extending their winning streak to 9. The Pittsburgh Pirates won, so they remain 2 games behind Cincinnati. The Reds are 20 games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2010 season.

The Reds go for the sweep against the Rockies this afternoon. Mat Latos will face Jonathan Sanchez at 3:10pm EDT.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Reds (59-40)	0	0	0	2	0	1	0	0	0	3	9	0
Rockies (37-61)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	8	0

Boxscore

It was the Bronson Arroyo show for the first 6 2/3 innings last night when the Cincinnati Reds arrived in Colorado to take on the Rockies. Arroyo picked up his 6th win–evening his record at 6-6–and propelled the Reds to their longest winning streak of the season: 8.

Over his 6 2/3 innings, Arroyo allowed 6 hits, no runs, and struck out 3. He lowered his ERA to 3.76 and is pitching like last year was the aberration everyone hoped it was.

The bullpen maintained the shutout, with Alfredo Simon and Aroldis Chapman contributing a scoreless inning. Chapman struck out the side in the 9th–again–to record his 20th save.

On the offensive side, the Rockies kept the Reds off the board until the 4th inning. Brandon Phillips singled to lead off the inning and advanced to second on a fly-out by Jay Bruce. Ryan Ludwick continued his hot hitting by lining a double down the left-field line to score Phillips. A sacrifice fly by Todd Frazier allowed Ludwick to score to give the Reds a 2-0 lead.

They added another run when Ludwick, on base again, scored thanks to a wild pitch by Rockies’ reliever Adam Ottavino.

The Reds needed only one run for the win, thanks to another strong pitching performance, but the 3 made it easy.

They go for another series win tonight at 8:10pm EDT. Johnny Cueto goes against Christian Friedrich.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Reds	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	3	5	10	4
Astros	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	3	8	0

Boxscore

The Reds were rolling along early in this game and then made such a flub in the eighth to lose the lead that it seemed impossible that they could come back to win. The ninth was snatching victory from the jaws of defeat time, though, and the Reds completed the sweep of the Astros.

Homer Bailey put in an excellent start for the Reds, as he’s been wont to do lately. In 7.0 innings of work, he allowed 0 runs on 4 hits and 5 walks. That walk number is perhaps a touch high, but he also struck out 7, so that’s something.

Bailey seemed to be in line for his fifth win in as many starts, but then Logan Ondrusek came in to start the eighth. In the next .2 innings he gave up 3 runs (2 earned) on 3 hits. Plus, the defense behind him suffered a major brain fart, and the run that took the lead came on a play that featured 2 of the Reds’ 4 errors of the night.

Sean Marshall came in to finish the eighth, and for once, I don’t object to Dusty Baker putting him in for just one out. He stopped the bleeding and didn’t allow so much as a hit, setting up the Reds to retake the lead and give him the win. Aroldis Chapman pitched the ninth and allowed 0 runs on 1 hit.

Drew Stubbs took a double turn at being the hero last night and repeated his performance from the day before. Xavier Paul started off the top of the ninth against Fransisco Cordero with a double. Chris Heisey struck out, but Brandon Phillips walked. When Zack Cozart struck out, it was looking pretty bleak. But then Stubbs smacked a double to center to bring in Paul and Phillips and take the lead. Jay Bruce later hit him in for an insurance run.

The win brings the Reds’ record to 58-40. They have the day off today to relish their 7-game winning streak in Colorado before facing the Rockies tomorrow.