Former Indian Phillips powers Reds to victory

David Ross also hit a three-run homer for Cincinnati.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Brandon Phillips hit a three-run homer against his former team and extended his hitting streak to 21 games, leading the Cincinnati Reds over the Cleveland Indians 10-5 Saturday night.

David Ross also hit a three-run homer as the Reds won for the second time in eight games.

Travis Hafner homered for Cleveland, which lost for the fourth time in 19 games at Jacobs Field.

Matt Belisle (4-3) allowed four runs in 52⁄3 innings for his first win since April 28. David Weathers worked out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the eighth and pitched the ninth for his eighth save.

Sowers takes loss

Jeremy Sowers (0-4) remained winless in eight starts this season. He allowed seven runs and eight hits in six innings, leaving the lefty with a 7.13 ERA.

Sowers was 7-4 in 14 starts last season after being called up from Triple-A Buffalo in late June.

With the emergence of Fausto Carmona and the expected return of Jake Westbrook (strained left abdominal) in late June, Sowers could be headed back to the minors.

Phillips, traded from the Indians to the Reds in April 2006 for minor leaguer Jeff Stevens, homered in the third and broke a 1-1 tie. Ross’ homer came in the sixth and extended the lead to 7-3.

Belisle won despite giving up 10 hits and walking two. He also allowed 10 hits in his last outing, against San Diego on Monday.

Down 7-4, the Indians loaded the bases in the eighth. Weather preserved the Reds’ lead, striking out Josh Barfield and retiring Grady Sizemore on a fly ball.

Hafner’s seventh homer put the Indians ahead 1-0 in the first. Phillips opened the second with a double and Jeff Conine tied it with a double.

Phillips sent a drive into the left-field porch in the third for his seventh home run. Victor Martinez’s two-run single in the bottom half closed Cleveland to 4-3.