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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
DENVER (AP) – All Elmer Dessens needed was a minor adjustment to his slider to end a personal three-game winless streak.
|  | | Elmer Dessens benefitted from a mid-game adjustment to his slider. |
That adjustment helped him pitch six strong innings, and Michael Tucker hit a tiebreaking RBI double in the sixth to lead the Cincinnati Reds to their ninth straight road win with a 9-4 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Saturday.
"My slider wasn't working in the beginning of the game,"
Dessens said. "I was trying to throw it harder so that it would
rotate better."
Dessens (2-1) allowed four runs, eight hits, struck out two and
walked three in winning for the first time in four starts and
leading the Reds to their fifth straight win.
"Elmer was terrific," Cincinnati manager Bob Boone said.
"Elmer figured out the altitude thing and how to make the ball
work when he had to."
Tucker was 2-for-5 with three RBI, Barry Larkin had two hits
and two runs scored, and Alex Ochoa had three hits and an RBI for
the Reds whose road winning streak is the longest since they put
together a 10-game road winning run in 1998.
The Reds scored four runs in the top of the ninth on Ruben
Rivera's RBI single, Sean Casey's bases-loaded walk and Tucker's
two-run single.
With the game tied 4-4, Larkin singled to center off Kane Davis
(0-1) and Tucker followed with a double to give Cincinnati the lead
for good.
"Our pitching staff has really given us some good chances,"
said Larkin. "They have kept us in every ballgame and I don't
think we've really been blown out at all this year."
Todd Walker and Ben Petrick each hit two-run homers for the
Rockies, who lost their third straight.
"I probably had my best at-bat of the year," said Petrick, who
has struggled, fanning 18 times in 38 at-bats this year. "I took
him to a full count and made some good contact."
The Reds took a 2-0 lead in the third on Ochoa's two-out RBI
single. Ochoa scored the second run of the inning when Larry Walker
knocked the ball out Juan Pierre's glove in short center field on a
fly ball hit by Aaron Boone that allowed Ochoa to score.
Colorado tied it 2-2 when Pierre reached on a bunt single
leading off the third and Todd Walker followed with a home run into
the second deck in right field.
Pokey Reese doubled past Pierre in center and Jason LaRue's RBI
single in the fourth gave the Reds a 3-2 lead.
Petrick hit a two-run homer into the Colorado bullpen in the
bottom of the fourth to put the Rockies ahead 4-3.
"I don't feel badly about the home runs because this is a
hitter's field," Dessens said. "They made contact and the ball
just flies."
Ron Villone walked Rivera with the bases loaded in the fifth to
tie it 4-4.
"Right now, we just aren't doing some things very good,"
Colorado manager Buddy Bell said. "In this league, we have to play
well every game to get it done."
Game notes
Bob Boone and his son, Aaron, were ejected. Bob was thrown
out in the fifth inning by plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt for
arguing a non-balk call, and Aaron in the sixth for disputing a
third-strike ruling. ... The Reds avoided being shut out for an NL
record 186th consecutive game, a streak dates to Al Leiter's
two-hit shutout on the final game of the 1999 regular season. ...
Todd Walker's third-inning homer ended a 20-inning stretch without
a homer at Coors Field, the last coming by pinch-hitter Todd
Hundley in the ninth inning of Wednesday's game. ... Todd
Hollandsworth has a 13-game hitting streak. ... LHP Mike Hampton
will miss his scheduled start Sunday due to continued soreness in
his neck. His spot will be taken by RHP Shawn Chacon, who will be
called up to make his major league debut.
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OTHER GAMES
Baseball Scoreboard
Cincinnati Clubhouse
Colorado Clubhouse
RECAPS
Kansas City 8
Boston 2
Tampa Bay 7
Detroit 3
NY Yankees 7
Oakland 6
Anaheim 4
Toronto 1
Seattle 8
Chi. White Sox 5
Cleveland 7
Texas 3
Baltimore 5
Minnesota 2
Milwaukee 8
Montreal 4
NY Mets 6
St. Louis 5
Houston 6
Florida 4
Cincinnati 9
Colorado 4
San Francisco 5
Chicago Cubs 0
Atlanta 3
Arizona 1
San Diego 8
Pittsburgh 1
Los Angeles 7
Philadelphia 6
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