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Wednesday, Jul. 26 12:35pm ET
Larkin dislocates pinkie in loss | |||||
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
CINCINNATI (AP) -- Salsa music blared from a CD player in the visitors' clubhouse, bringing a grin to Scott Elarton's face. The Houston Astros hadn't won like this -- or celebrated like this -- all season. Moises Alou hit the last of Houston's three sixth-inning homers -- an upper-deck shot -- as the Astros again came from behind to beat the Cincinnati Reds 3-2 Wednesday, completing a three-game sweep. A team that hadn't won more than two in a row all season before arriving in Cincinnati has now won its last five against St. Louis and the Reds, providing a reason to revel at long last. "Unbelievable," Elarton said to the backdrop of booming tunes. "I think everybody knew we could play this way. We should have played this way all year. Now we can go out loose and relaxed. You can tell by the atmosphere in here that guys are having a lot of fun." There was little to say on the other side. A series that began with excitement over shortstop Barry Larkin's three-year contract extension ended with Larkin getting hurt and the second-place Reds slip-sliding away in the NL Central. After chopping a 10-game deficit in half with two solid weeks, the Reds slid to 7½ games back Wednesday after first-place St. Louis beat Arizona 8-4. "That's kind of the way stuff has been going and obviously it didn't change today," said Steve Parris (5-13), who lost the game by giving up three solo homers in an eight-pitch span. Larkin left in the fourth inning after dislocating the pinkie finger on his right hand while making a tumbling catch. He popped the finger back in place on the field and planned to be back in the lineup Friday. The major leagues' worst team completed its first sweep of the season and its first at Cincinnati since September 1986. The Astros have won a season-high five in a row. In all three games, the Reds blew a lead against a team that had rarely made a comeback all season. Parris (5-13) let a two-run lead get away in the sixth, when Julio Lugo led off with a first-pitch homer. Jeff Bagwell hit his 28th high off the right-field foul screen two pitches later to tie it at 2. Bagwell also hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the ninth inning of the Astros' 7-4 victory Tuesday night. He has homered in five of his last six games. After Daryle Ward struck out, Alou hit his 16th homer, an arching drive that landed several rows into the upper deck before bouncing down. Left fielder Michael Tucker took one step, then turned and recoiled in disappointment after the ball left Alou's bat. It was only the 33rd red-seat homer in the stadium's 30-year history. Alou said it was only the second upper-deck homer of his career -- he also hit one off Dwight Gooden in Shea Stadium. This homer made it feel like old times in the Astros dugout. "We should have been playing like that the whole year," Alou said. "It's unfortunate we didn't do that. Everybody knows why -- the injuries and guys having off-years. If we would have played like that earlier in the year, it would have been interesting." Parris fell to 1-6 career against Houston and joined the Astros' Jose Lima (3-13) as the only pitchers in the majors with 13 losses. Elarton (10-4) became the Astros' first 10-game winner this season, extending his month-long streak of solid pitching. He gave up two runs and five hits in 7 2/3 innings, leaving him 4-1 in July. Octavio Dotel retired Ken Griffey Jr. on a fly to center with two on and two outs in the eighth, then finished it off for his second save. Tucker hit a solo homer in the second and Griffey doubled to right to score a run in the third. Griffey was thrown out trying to stretch it to a triple for the final out of the inning. Larkin came out in the fourth after his tumbling catch of Mitch Meluskey's soft fly to center. He caught the ball and collided with second baseman Pokey Reese, tumbling awkwardly to the artificial turf. Larkin popped the finger back in place on the field. X-rays found no fracture. "It was painful when it happened, so I figured I would do it right then," Larkin said. The injury came three days after Larkin blocked a trade to the Mets and agreed to a three-year contract extension with his hometown team. Game notesThe start was delayed for 37 minutes by rain. ... The Astros hadn't swept any series since taking three from the Cubs last Sept. 10-12. Before arriving in Cincinnati this week, they hadn't won three games in a row all season. ... Dotel hasn't allowed a run in eight relief appearances covering 9 l/3 innings this season. ... Reese made his first start after missing seven games with a groin strain. ... Sean Casey singled in the ninth, extending his career-best hitting streak to 18 games. ... Mark Wohlers pitched two scoreless innings. Wohlers, coming back from reconstructive elbow surgery last July, has pitched six scoreless innings in three appearances. | ALSO SEE Baseball Scoreboard Houston Clubhouse Cincinnati Clubhouse Larkin's busy homestand ends with minor injury
RECAPS Toronto 8 Cleveland 1
Houston 3
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