Phillies 6, Reds 2
Erik Kratz belted a three-run homer and Roy Halladay tossed 7 1/3 solid innings as visiting Philadelphia took two of three from Cincinnati.
Chase Utley launched a two-run homer and Domonic Brown had an RBI single for the Phillies, who posted their ninth win in 13 outings.
Jay Bruce continued his sizzling stretch by homering for the fourth straight contest, marking the second time this season he has done so. Bruce, who went 3-for-4 with an RBI double, is 10-for-21 with five homers and 12 RBIs during his six-game hitting streak.
Joey Votto returned to action for the first time since July 15 following a pair of surgeries on his left knee. The 2010 NL MVP went 2-for-3 for the Reds, who went 33-16 in his absence.
After three straight singles allowed Ryan Howard to score the game's first run in the second inning, Kratz gave the Phillies a 4-0 lead with a towering blast. He deposited a curveball from Mike Leake (7-9) into the second row over the wall in left-center field. Kratz's ninth homer extended his hitting streak to five games.
Staked to a sizable lead, Halladay (9-7) breezed to his fifth victory in seven outings. The two-time Cy Young Award winner allowed one run on eight hits and struck out five.
Leake was throttled by the Phillies for the second time in as many starts. The right-hander, who yielded six runs on as many hits in 2 1/3 innings on Wednesday, permitted seven runs in 4 1/3 innings in a 12-5 setback on Aug. 20. Leake is 0-3 in his career versus Philadelphia.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Bruce also went deep in four straight games April 26-29. ... With 10 homers, Utley is just one shy of last year's total - despite having 183 less at-bats. ... Philadelphia will enjoy a day off before returning home to open a three-game set versus Colorado on Friday. ... Cincinnati will also have a day off before continuing its nine-game homestand with a three-game series against Houston.