Phillies 5, Reds 4
PHILADELPHIA -- Pinch hitter Darin Ruf singled home the winning run in the bottom of the ninth as the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-4 on Tuesday night to break a seven-game losing streak.
Rookie third baseman Maikel Franco hit a two-run homer to tie it in the eighth for Philadelphia. Second baseman Chase Utley also homered for Philadelphia.
First baseman Joey Votto went 2-for-4 and drove in two runs for the Reds, who saw a three-game winning streak end.
Philadelphia center fielder Odubel Herrera led off the ninth by doubling off Tony Cingrani (0-2), the fourth Cincinnati pitcher. Catcher Carlos Ruiz sacrificed, and Ruf punched a single to right to win it.
Jonathan Papelbon (1-0) worked a perfect inning in relief to win it.
Cincinnati's Jonny Cueto, scratched from his scheduled start on May 24 at Cleveland by a sore right elbow, went six innings and allowed two runs (one earned) and five hits, while striking out four.
Philadelphia starter Sean O'Sullivan went 5 2/3 innings and allowed four runs and nine hits, while striking out one, walking one and hitting a batter.
Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips led off the game with a single and scored on a double by Votto, but the Phillies tied the game with an unearned run in the second. Third baseman Maikel Franco reached on an error by third baseman Todd Frazier, and two batters later Franco scored on an infield groundout by center fielder Odubel Herrera.
The Phillips-Votto combination struck again in the third. Phillips led off the inning with a double and scored on Votto's single.
The Reds increased their lead to 4-1 by scoring twice in the fourth. Left fielder Marlon Byrd and shortstop Zack Cozart opened the inning with doubles to produce the first run, and after Cueto sacrificed Cozart to third, center fielder Billy Hamilton delivered him with a squeeze bunt.
Utley, who went 3-for-4, led off the sixth with his fourth homer of the season, and his first since May 1, 26 games earlier. That cut the gap to 4-2.
Franco hit his game-tying two-run homer off reliever Jumbo Diaz in the eighth. It came after right fielder Jay Bruce appeared to lose a two-out liner by first baseman Ryan Howard in the lights. The ball dropped for a double, and Franco then hit a 2-1 pitch from Diaz into the seats in left field.
NOTES: Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said before the game that Monday's release of OF Grady Sizemore gives the team's younger outfielders a greater opportunity to prove themselves. "That's key for the young players right now," he said, "for the experience, to do well and to be part of the core group as it goes forward." Sizemore was designated for assignment May 29 when OF Cody Asche was recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. ... Reds 1B Joey Votto and 2B Brandon Phillips started their 879th game together, the most by any tandem on the right side of the infield in Reds history and the second most among active players behind Phillies 1B Ryan Howard and 2B Chase Utley, who made their 1,117th start together.