CLEVELAND — Jhonny Peralta ended two long streaks with one swing.
Peralta singled in the go-ahead run in the sixth inning Sunday to help the Cleveland Indians beat the Cincinnati Reds 4-3, snap a six-game losing streak and give David Huff his first win since April 15.
“It was a clutch win with a clutch hit and some good pitching,” said Shelley Duncan, who had a first-inning RBI single to help Cleveland avoid its first home sweep to Cincinnati.
The Reds have won 11 of 15 from their in-state rivals since 2008, and the overall series is tied at 33.
Huff (2-6) gave up three runs and six hits over six innings for his first win in six starts. The left-hander was 0-5 with a 7.33 ERA since his first career complete game April 15, a four-hit, 3-2 win over Texas.
“It’s been a tough couple of weeks,” Huff said. “It was time to move on.”
Reds starting pitcher Homer Bailey left in the third inning with tightness in his right shoulder. The seventh overall pick in the 2004 draft will be examined in Cincinnati on Monday by team physician Dr. Timothy Kremchek.
“We don’t think it’s anything serious,” Bailey said. “At the end of the second and beginning of the third, I couldn’t quite get loose. I wanted to stay in the game, but they weren’t going to let that happen.
“It wasn’t agonizing pain or anything like that. It could be something minor. There wasn’t one pitch where I felt something. It kind of slowly crept up.”
Kerry Wood worked the ninth for his first save since Sept. 25. The right-hander was sidelined out of spring training until May 7 with a strained muscle in his back. He blew his first save opportunity Wednesday by allowing five runs in the ninth inning of an 8-4 loss to Kansas City.
“It was good to see Woody come back,” Indians manager Manny Acta said. “The bullpen did a good job and David had good pop on his fastball. He got in trouble with some off-speed stuff. He’s got to learn to use his fastball effectively.”
Peralta lined a two-out single off Daniel Ray Herrera (0-2) to break a 3-3 tie. Trevor Crowe singled with one out and went to third on Shin-Soo Choo’s third hit, a single to right. Travis Hafner struck out before Peralta delivered.
Scott Rolen drove in all three Reds runs with two homers. His 10th of the season made it 3-3 in the top of the sixth, and he put the Reds ahead with a two-run homer in the first.
“It kind of fired me up and made me make some pitches,” Huff said of the first homer.
It was the 21st career multihomer game and second this year for Rolen, who has hit safely in nine of his last 12 games, going 15 for 40 (.375) with four homers and 14 RBIs.
“The first was a slider, the second a changeup,” the third baseman said. “I saw the ball well today for whatever reason.”
The Indians turned three singles and a wild pitch by Bailey into two runs in the first. Hafner had an RBI infield single and Duncan tied it with a sharp single to center with two outs.
Duncan hit .301 with six homers and 34 RBIs in 38 games at Triple-A Columbus before being called up Wednesday when Grady Sizemore went on the Indians’ DL with a bruised left knee.
Bailey yielded a leadoff triple to Choo in the third, then got Hafner to fly out to left on his 46th and final pitch. He hung his head as he walked off the mound and manager Dusty Baker and trainer Paul Lessard went out to check on the right-hander. After a lengthy discussion, Bailey was replaced by Micah Owings.
Russell Branyan drove in Choo with a sacrifice fly to put Cleveland ahead 3-2.
Bailey allowed four hits and three runs over 2 1-3 innings in his second start since his first career complete game, a four-hit, 5-0 win at Pittsburgh on May 12.
He is the second Reds starter in two days to leave a game early. On Saturday night, Johnny Cueto left after six innings with a blistered finger on his right hand.
Reds closer Francisco Cordero was unavailable after pitching in three straight games and so was right-hander Nick Masset, who had worked in four consecutive games.
NOTES: Reds SS Orlando Cabrera scored on Rolen’s first homer, becoming the 33rd active player with 900 or more runs. … Branyan reached with one out in the fifth when his fly ball was lost in the sun by right-fielder Jay Bruce. The ball nearly hit him in the head. In the first inning, shortstop Donald staggered under a popup hit by Joey Votto, falling down as the ball landed in his glove. Neither player wore sunglasses on the cloudless day. … Bruce is hitting .341 (31 of 91) since April 25. … Hafner is hitting .366 (15 of 41) during an 11-game batting streak.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
