Bronson Brilliant Against Rockies

Bronson Arroyo gave up a trademark long home run to Dexter Fowler leading off the game but pitched 5 2/3 innings as the Reds held on to a 4-3 win.  He allowed five hits and two walks and struck out one hitter.

"I felt good tonight – it was a night game, it felt like a regular game today," Arroyo said. "I knew I was going to get deep in the ballgame and I was going to hit and all that. It was nice. Fowler starts me off with a bomb-bomb and everything else went smooth from there.”

Arroyo paid Fowler back by hitting a ball over the centerfielder's head to drive in the equalizing run.  Zack Cozart walked and one out later, Arroyo's double sent the shortstop to home to score.

“I knew it wasn’t a homer," Arroyo said. "I was just coasting for a minute because I thought he was definitely going to catch it. Then I saw he really had to run hard to get it. I thought it might have a chance to get over his head and I got lucky.”

Arroyo pitched out of a second and third one-out situation. Chris Nelson singled but had to stop at third on a ground rule double by Jonathan Herrera. Reid Brignac lined out to Todd Frazier at third and Arroyo struck out Fowler swinging.

The Reds scored twice off Eastern Kentucky grad Christian Friedrich.  Cesar Izturis doubled.  Donald Lutz nailed a pitch that ate up secondbaseman Charlie Culbertson.  Izturis slid home safely.  Ryan Ludwick hit into a double play but Jay Bruce connected against Friedrich for a long home run high upon the berm behind the rightfield wall.

Billy Hamilton tripled in his lone at bat and scored on a sacrifice fly by Devin Lohman.

Hamilton rounds second taken by Debra Goetz Poynter

Hamilton is learning to play centerfield and Dusty Baker hasn't seen him enough to know how far he has come.

"I haven't seen enough of Hamilton because he got hurt. You'd have to ask Billy Hatcher and Eric Davis because they have been working with him," Baker said.

Hamilton beats throw to third taken by Debra Goetz Poynter

Baker roomed with Ralph Garr who was known as the "Roadrunner" when they came up with the Braves.

"I don't know if he is as fast as Garr but Ralph was the second fastest man I've seen play," Baker said. "Deion Sanders was the fastest."      

J.J. Hoover pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Clay Hensley pitched a quick 1-2-3 frame.

Ben Paulsen hit a line drive home run off Drew Hayes to lead off the ninth.  Hayes gave up a single to Yorvit Torrealba but Tyler Colvin hit into a force play.  Colvin went to second on a third strike in the dirt that Nolan Arenado swung through. Colvin scored when Emmanuel Burris threw a ground ball hit by D.J. LaMahieu past young Travis Mattair at firstbase. Burris threw out Corey Dickerson to end the game.

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