Reds Go 14 Over 500 On Ryan Ludwick and Brandon Phillips Home Runs

The Reds jumped on Yovanni Gallardo with four runs in the first inning.  Bronson Arroyo and the Reds' bullpen made it stand up.

Ryan Ludwick and Brandon Phillips hit two-run home runs.  Zack Cozart made a game saving stop that turned into a double play to stunt the growth of a Milwaukee rally in the Reds' 6-2 win.  The win pushed the Reds a season-high 14 games over .500.  They have won three in a row, seven of its first nine after the All-Star break and are 4-2 since its best hitter, Joey Votto, had surgery.

"I just worked the count in my favor," said Ludwick of his 15th home run that brought his RBI total to 41. "It was big getting four runs off Gallardo.  He's pretty good."

The 422 ft. blast capped the first inning ambush.  Cozart and Phillips singled with one out.  Jay Bruce, the acting cleanup hitter, single hard through the Brewers infield shift.  The resurgent Scott Rolen caused Ryan Braun to get goosed by the left field fence as Phillips scored after the catch.  Bruce trotted home on Ludwick's launch.

Arroyo went to work with the help of his friends.  The last time he faced the Brewers, Arroyo took a no-hitter into the eighth inning but gave up a 3-0 lead.  This time he was having none of that.

"I was watching video.  I knew I had a good game against somebody but just then I realized it was the Brewers," Arroyo said.

The Brewers scored a run in the fourth but they really threatened to dent the lead in the sixth.

Travis Ishikawa doubled to start the inning.  Ryan Braun hit a hard single to right that was hit too hard for Ishikawa to score.  Aramis Ramirez hit a hard ground ball up the middle.  Cozart dived and caught the ball behind second.  The shortstop raised his body just enough to flip the ball to Phillips at second.  Phillips bare handed the ball and threw to first in one motion to retire Ramirez.  Ishikawa scored to make it a 4-2 game but rather than first and third no outs, the bases were empty with two outs.

"That saved the game," Arroyo said.

"Boy that play was right on time," manager Dusty Baker said.

"If that ball goes through its a different game," Milwaukee manager Ron Roenicke said.  "Cozart and Bruce are killing us."

The Reds had a chance to break the game open in the bottom of the inning.

Scott Rolen tripled off the glove of Corey Hart in the right field corner to lead off the bottom of the sixth.

Rolen is hitting .375 since the All-Star break, hitting safely in six of his seven starts.

"When Scotty is feeling right, he is an outstanding player," Baker said.

Ludwick hit a ground ball to Ishikawa at first.  Ishikawa threw home to get Rolen but Rolen stayed in a rundown long enough for Ludwick to get to secondbase.  Todd Frazier hit an infield single that sent Ludwick to third.  The Brewers brought in former closer John Axford, who walked Ryan Hanigan intentionally.  The Reds sent Xavier Paul to hit for Arroyo.  Paul grounded out to end the threat and the game was placed into the hands of the Major League's leading bullpen.

"It was still a tight game.  We needed to get some runs right there," Baker said.  "Bronson and Leaky have been our hard-luck pitchers. It was good to get Bronson that win."

"I actually didn't have a whole lot left in the tank," Arroyo said.  "It was a good time to come out of the ballgame.  I feel like I'm the weak link in the rotation right now.  Everyone is pitching so well."

The Reds, thanks to Phillips, put the game away in the next inning.

Phillips clubbed his 12th home run off Jose Veras with Cozart aboard.  Phillips, batting third in place of Votto, now has 57 RBI.  He has driven in seven runs in the last three games to move within two of Bruce's team leading total of 59.

"To tell you the truth, I don't know how I hit that ball," Phillips said.  "Veras is a tough guy for me to hit.  I'm glad we scored early today.  It's fun to come from behind but it was good to get on the board early tonight."

The bullpen closed the store.  Jose Arredondo, Sean Marshall and Sam LeCure each pitched 2/3 of an inning.  Arredondo allowed a hit after he was smacked on the right forearm by a Jeff Bianchi line drive that caromed all the way to Frazier at first for the out.  Arredondo threw some warm ups a told Baker he was ok but Cesar Izturis hit a line single off him Baker went to Marshall.

Arredondo has swelling on his right forearm.

"I will be ok for a couple days," Arredondo said.

Logan Ondrusek contributed a scoreless ninth.

The Reds' relievers are 3-0 with a cool 0.60 ERA in the first nine games of this homestand.