Saturday, May 22, 2010
Associated Press
CLEVELAND
Laynce Nix had three hits, including a tie-breaking double in the sixth inning, leading the Cincinnati Reds to a 7-4 win over the slumping Cleveland Indians on Friday night.
The Reds bounced back from a stunning defeat in Atlanta on Thursday when they failed to hold seven-run lead in the ninth inning.
Shin-Soo Choo, moved from third to second in the batting order, homered twice, had three hits and three RBIs for the Indians, who have lost five straight and fell to a season-worst 10 games below .500.
Jonny Gomes and Brandon Phillips homered for the Reds.
Bronson Arroyo (4-2) allowed four runs in 62/3 innings and won his third straight start. Cordero pitched the ninth for his 14th save in 17 chances.
Nix hit a leadoff homer in the third, doubled and scored in the fourth off starter Jake Westbrook, and doubled in the go-ahead run in the sixth off Aaron Laffey (0-1).
Gomes hit a two-run homer in the fourth that broke a 1-1 tie. Ryan Hanigan’s double gave the Reds a 4-1 lead, but Arroyo couldn’t hold it. Trevor Crowe drove in a run with a double before Choo, who hit a solo homer in the first, homered on the first pitch to tie the game.
Gomes walked to lead off the sixth and scored on Nix’s double into the right-field corner. Orlando Cabrera added an RBI single later in the inning for the Reds, who are 17-7 since April 25.
Phillips hit a solo homer in the ninth off Kerry Wood.