CINCINNATI – With a series against the Phillies on the line, the Reds had been hitting Philadelphia ace Roy Halladay well all afternoon but trailed 3-2 with six outs left.
Jay Bruce finally broke through, taking Halladay deep for a two-RBI homer to win the game and put Cincinnati back on top in the NL Central.
Bruce’s eighth-inning home run pushed the Reds past the Phillies 4-3 in the rubber game of a three-game set Wednesday afternoon.
Combined with the Cardinals’
4-2 home loss to the Diamondbacks, Cincinnati (44-35) regained a half-game lead over St. Louis in the Central.
The Phillies (41-35) dropped to three games back of Atlanta in the East, remaining in third place. The Braves host Washington Wednesday night.
The Reds offense touched Halladay, who threw a perfect game at Florida May 29, for 13 hits but left nine men on base, leaving Cincinnati behind 3-2 headed into the eighth inning.
Bruce took care of that. He drilled a shot to deep right, scoring Jonny Gomes, who led off with a single to left, to take the lead.
Closer Francisco Cordero came on and got the save, pitching around pinch hitter Ross Gload’s one-out single and stolen base and retiring Shane Victorino on a groundout to end the game.
Philadelphia is having some injury troubles, with starters Chase Utley, Placido Polanco and Carlos Ruiz all on the disabled list, but one of the Phils’ replacements gave them a fourth-inning lead. Jayson Werth and backup second baseman Wilson Valdez singled ahead of third catcher Dane Sardinha, who hit a homer that carried over the left-field wall for a 3-0 edge.
Cincinnati began its climb back in the sixth, when Joey Votto hit a leadoff homer to right. One inning later, Orlando Cabrera singled home Ramon Hernandez, who had singled himself, to cut the Reds’ deficit to one.
One game after seeing his record-tying 33-game scoreless streak come to an end, Reds reliever Arthur Rhodes (3-2) worked a perfect inning with two strikeouts to become the pitcher of record. Cordero earned his 21st save.
Cincinnati starter Aaron Harang worked 6 1-3 innings, allowing three runs on eight hits with a walk and five strikeouts.
Hernandez went 3-for-4 to lead the Reds at the plate. Gomes, Bruce and Brandon Phillips each had two hits.
Victorino and Valdez recorded two hits apiece for the Phillies.
Halladay (9-7) took the loss in an eight-inning complete game, with 10 strikeouts and no walks.
NOTES: The Phillies lost for just the fifth time in their last 14 games. … It was the Reds’ 25th comeback win of the season. … Cincinnati embarks on an 11-game road trip leading into the All-Star break, heading to Chicago for four games with the Cubs. Travis Wood will get the start Thursday afternoon. Philadelphia will go to Pittsburgh for a four-game series, with Cole Hamels on the mound Thursday night.
BOX SCORE
Photo above: Jay Bruce (32) rounds the bases after his game-winning eighth-inning home run. (Gary Landers/Cincinnati Enquirer)
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