NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL Reds' hot start continues with 3-1 win over Bucs

At 4-1, Cincinnati is off to its best start since 1994.
CINCINNATI (AP) -- It's been 10 years since the Cincinnati Reds started so well.
D'Angelo Jimenez drove in a pair of runs and made a saving defensive play Saturday, setting up a 3-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates -- the latest win during Cincinnati's uplifting homestand.
At 4-1, the Reds are three games over .500 for the first time since Aug. 19, 2002, when they were still playing at Cinergy Field. They never got more than two games above the break-even mark in their first year at Great American Ball Park.
There's been nothing fancy about the first-week surge against the Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh.
"I just put their names on the lineup card, put on my sunglasses, sit back and watch," manager Dave Miley said.
Folks around these parts haven't seen anything like it since 1994, when the Reds won six of their first seven.
Reds' leaders
Adam Dunn hit a solo homer -- his second in two games -- and Jimenez had a sacrifice fly and an RBI double, leading the Reds to their fourth straight victory.
Cory Lidle (1-1), who lost the season opener against the Cubs, rebounded with seven solid innings. The right-hander gave up one run and six hits, and didn't walk anyone.
"I didn't lose any confidence after my first outing," said Lidle, a newcomer who lost 15 games with Toronto last year. "Things didn't go my way, but I felt like I threw the ball well. I wanted to prove myself to my teammates and the fans."
Cincinnati's uncharacteristically good start has been set up by an unexpected renaissance from the rotation. Reds starters had the NL's worst ERA last season, a major factor in their 93-loss finish.
The retooled rotation has allowed only five runs over 26 innings during the four-game winning streak.
Kip Wells (1-1) needed 114 pitches to get through six innings, repeatedly pitching out of threats against a team that hasn't hit well with runners on base. Cincinnati stranded nine runners in his six innings, and left the bases loaded in the fourth.
Scoring
Dunn hit his third homer in the fourth inning, a one-out shot on Wells' first pitch. Ryan Freel tripled to the base of the wall in center in the sixth and scored on Jimenez's fly to center for a 2-1 lead. Jimenez added a run-scoring double in the eighth.
Jimenez also helped preserve the lead in the top of the eighth, when Abraham Nunez led off with a double off Ryan Wagner. Nunez tried for third on Tike Redman's grounder to Jimenez, but got a late jump and was thrown out by the second baseman.
"Bad baserunning," manager Lloyd McClendon grumbled. "He got thrown out by a mile. He didn't get the proper secondary lead."
Jimenez expected Redman to try to advance the runner with a bunt. Instead, he swung away and hit a grounder directly to him.
"I was playing halfway in," Jimenez said. "I wanted to be ready for the bunt. I just charged and reacted to him going to third."
Redman then compounded the mistake by getting picked off first base.
PITTSBURGHCINCINNATI
abrhbiabrhbi
TRdmn cf4000DJmnz 2b3022
JWilsn ss3021Larkin ss4010
Mndesi lf4000JCastro ss1000
Simon 1b1000Grf Jr. cf3020
JDavis rf2000Kearns rf4000
Hill ph1000Casey 1b4010
CWilsn rf4010Dunn lf4111
Mckwk 3b3010LaRue c3100
Cota c3000Freel 3b3120
Castillo 2b3000Olmedo ss0000
Grabow p0000Lidle p1000
Boyd p0000RWgnr p0000
Wells p2120Vlentin ph1000
ANunez 2b1010Graves p0000
Totals31171Totals31393
Pittsburgh001000000--1
Cincinnati00010101x--3
E--Boyd (1). DP--Cincinnati 1. LOB--Pittsburgh 4, Cincinnati 11. 2B--JWilson (3), ANunez (1), DJimenez (1), Griffey Jr. (1), Casey (3). 3B--Wells (1), Freel (1). HR--Dunn (3). SB--JWilson (1). S--Freel. SF--JWilson, DJimenez.
IPHRERBBSO
Pittsburgh
Wells L,1-1672247
Grabow110000
Boyd111100
Cincinnati
Lidle W,1-1761103
RWagner110000
Graves S,3100001
HBP--by Boyd (LaRue). Umpires--Home, Ed Rapuano; First, Ted Barrett; Second, Alfonso Marquez; Third, Rick Reed. T--2:45. A--23,449.