Indians snap five-game losing streak

Associated Press

CLEVELAND

Justin Masterson pitched six solid innings, Jason Giambi and Mark Reynolds homered, and the Cleveland Indians broke a five-game losing streak with a 5-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday night.

Masterson (8-3) worked out of a bases-loaded jam with nobody out in the sixth to preserve a 2-1 lead. Cincinnati’s only run off the right-hander came on Joey Votto’s two-out homer in the first.

Giambi’s three-run homer in the sixth off Bronson Arroyo (5-5) pushed the margin to four runs for Cleveland, which scored only 14 runs during the skid.

Reynolds’ homer to lead off the third tied the game before Nick Swisher’s RBI double gave the Indians a 2-1 lead in the fourth.

The Reds took the first two games of the intrastate series with wins Monday and Tuesday in Cincinnati, but the Indians bounced back after losing seven of their previous eight. Cleveland’s losing streak matched its longest of the season.

Masterson, who has won four of his last five decisions, allowed four hits and struck out seven. Cincinnati loaded the bases with nobody out in the sixth, but Masterson worked out of the jam, getting Xavier Paul on a pitcher-to-home-to-first double play and retiring Devin Mesoraco on a fly ball.

Masterson also retired Votto on a groundout with two on to end the fifth.

Arroyo retired the first two hitters in the sixth before Asdrubal Cabrera and Swisher singled. Giambi hit a 2-1 pitch to right for his fourth career homer in 21 at-bats off Arroyo, who gave up five runs in 52/3 innings. Giambi, who hit a pinch-hit homer against the Reds on Monday, also doubled and is batting .381 (8-for-21) with eight RBIs lifetime against the Cincinnati right-hander.

Chad Allen pitched a scoreless seventh and Joe Smith blanked Cincinnati in the eighth. Vinnie Pestano, who has taken over the closer’s role for the injured Chris Perez, inherited a four-run lead in the ninth. He was greeted by Xavier Paul’s leadoff homer, but retired the next three hitters. Perez was placed on the 15-day disabled list Monday with tendinitis in his right shoulder.

Arroyo has lost four straight against Cleveland, allowing 22 earned runs in 191/3 innings.

The teams exchanged solo homers early in the game. Votto, who is batting .417 (40-for-96) in May, hit a line drive to dead center in the first while Reynolds homered into the left-field bleachers in the third.