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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
CINCINNATI (AP) -- A rare off-night by All-Star closer Danny
Graves helped the Houston Astros get something even rarer -- a third
straight victory.
The Astros scored three runs in the final two innings off
Graves, rallying for a 7-5, 10-inning victory over the Cincinnati
Reds on Monday night that left them smiling and exchanging fist
bumps in the clubhouse.
|  | | Craig Biggio feasted on Reds starter Pete Harnisch, hitting a solo homer, double and single off him to finish 3-for-6. |
For the first time all season, the worst team in the majors had
a real winning streak.
"That was the biggest win of the year for us," manager Larry
Dierker said. "Believe it or not, it's the first time we've won
three in a row all year."
A night that started with another long ovation for Cincinnati's
Barry Larkin ended with boos and finally silence from the crowd of
28,741. The Reds captain got another half-minute ovation before his
first at-bat, marking the end of his topsy-turvy week.
Larkin rejected a trade to the Mets on Sunday and then got a
three-year, $27 million extension from owner Carl Lindner. Two
banners said, "Thank You Uncle Carl."
As the ovation grew in the first inning, Larkin backed out of
the box and twice waved toward the stands.
"It was nice again," Larkin said.
Things were looking real nice for the Reds after Ken Griffey
Jr.'s bases-loaded triple put them ahead 5-2 in the fifth. But the
Astros did something they've rarely done all season -- they held
their ground and rallied late.
Matt Mieske's two-run pinch-hit single cut it to 5-4 in the
sixth, and Lance Berkman's sacrifice fly off Graves (9-2) tied it
in the ninth.
Two-out RBI singles by Glen Barker and Bill Spiers off Graves in
the 10th gave the Astros a rare close win. Houston is 6-25 in games
decided by one or two runs this season.
Their record for stringing wins together is even worse.
"You never would have guessed that we wouldn't win three in a
row until now," Barker said. "This is a big thing right now."
It was a deflating loss for the Reds, who slipped to 5½ behind
idle St. Louis in the NL Central. Graves has been nearly automatic
this season, blowing only one save chance until Monday night.
"This was definitely a tough one," Graves said. "In this
game, those things are going to happen. In this role, you've got to
accept failure. Tonight was one of those games where I'm just going
to have to take it."
Graves gave up six hits, one walk and three runs in two innings,
pushing his ERA from 1.95 to 2.32.
"He's done a tremendous job all year," manager Jack McKeon
said. "He just had an off-night."
The Astros' bullpen was on. After pulling ahead on Griffey's triple in the fifth, the Reds managed just one base
runner the rest of the way.
Octavio Dotel (2-5), the fifth Astros pitcher, got the victory
by striking out four of the six batters he faced in two hitless
innings.
Craig Biggio had a solo homer, a double and a single off Reds
starter Pete Harnisch. Richard Hidalgo also hit a solo homer, his
29th, in the fourth inning as Houston went up 2-0.
Sean Casey tied it with a two-run double in the fourth off Chris
Holt, extending his hitting streak to a career-high 16 games.
Larkin singled to load the bases in the fifth and Griffey put
the Reds ahead with his second triple of the season, a slicing
liner to left-center that Hidalgo lost in the lights. The center
fielder closed in on the ball, then turned away at the last second.
Larkin was only a stride behind Chris Stynes, who held up at
second base initially, as they rounded third and crossed the plate
in tandem.
The 36-year-old shortstop emerged from a 3-for-17 slump, going
2-for-5.
Harnisch twisted his ankle running the bases in the fifth and
came out of the game with the bases loaded in the sixth. Dennys
Reyes relieved and gave up Mieske's two-run single.
Game notes
Astros reliever Wayne Franklin made his major league debut
in the seventh, facing Griffey with the bases empty. Franklin
covered first for the putout on Griffey's grounder to the right
side. ... Dmitri Young doubled in his first at-bat, extending his
hitting streak to 11 games. ... Dante Bichette was 0-for-4, ending
his hitting streak at a season-high 17 games. ... The Reds had
converted their last nine save chances since Scott Williamson blew
one June 21 at Colorado. Graves is 17-for-19 in save situations.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Houston Clubhouse
Cincinnati Clubhouse
RECAPS
Arizona -1
Cleveland -1
Minnesota 4
Boston 2
Tampa Bay 4
Detroit 2
NY Yankees 4
Baltimore 3
Chi. White Sox 7
Kansas City 6
Anaheim 6
Texas 5
Seattle 6
Oakland 4
Houston 7
Cincinnati 5
Los Angeles 4
Colorado 1
San Francisco 3
San Diego 0
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Danny Graves says the Astros got the best of him on Monday.
wav: 119 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Jack McKeon says Danny Graves showed he was human.
wav: 112 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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