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CINCINNATI (AP) -- Chris Truby's biggest hit of the month was just enough to get the Houston Astros through a long night of wild throws and wasted chances. Truby's bases-loaded double completed a four-run first inning off Jim Brower, and the Astros dug in for a sloppy 4-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday night. "It was good to get the runs in the first, and it was frustrating not to be able to get any runs after that," manager Larry Dierker said. "I think they felt the same way. There was not much clutch hitting on either side." Not after the first few minutes, anyway. Houston knocked Brower (2-1) out of the game after only 24 pitches, then wasted one chance after another to take control. "It was getting frustrating," said Truby, who ended a 1-for-22 slump with his first RBI since April 28. "We had guys on base and opportunities to break the game open." Kent Bottenfield and the bullpen made the early lead hold up for the Astros' seventh win in 10 games. Bottenfield (2-2) gave up three runs -- two earned -- in 5 2/3 innings of his second start since a two-week stint in the bullpen. Mike Jackson escaped a threat in the eighth, and Billy Wagner struck out Barry Larkin with a runner at second to end the game and get his eighth save in nine chances. The Astros kept it close. Their infield threw two balls into the Reds' dugout -- Truby sailed a throw from third base to let in a run -- and Houston twice loaded the bases without scoring. The Reds heard the boos early and late as they fell to 6-12 at Cinergy Field, the NL's worst home record. Cincinnati has lost seven of its last eight at Cinergy. The Reds have lost nine of 11 overall, blunting their best April since 1994. "It was a bad time for a bad game," Brower said. Cincinnati's Donnie Sadler had a career-high four hits and scored twice. Deion Sanders, hitting .219, was out of the lineup for a second consecutive game since his misplay in center field set up a loss. Brower, the Reds' long reliever, filled in for the disabled Pete Harnisch and wound up with the shortest of his 17 career starts. The right-hander retired only one of the seven batters he faced, and half of his 24 pitches missed the strike zone. "That's one of the tough things about being a long man -- having to come in when you haven't pitched in a while," manager Bob Boone said. Julio Lugo hit Brower's third pitch for his seventh homer. Consecutive singles by Jeff Bagwell, Lance Berkman and Moises Alou produced another run. After Richard Hidalgo walked to load the bases and Brower fell behind in the count to the slumping Truby, pitching coach Don Gullett went out to talk to Brower. Gullett left and Truby lined the next pitch off the base of the wall in left field for a 4-0 lead, bringing Boone out to make the pitching change. "I was ready to throw and I was loose," Brower said. "I could have used some hard-hit balls at people, but their hard-hit balls found the gap. I was just trying to get settled, but it all happened so quickly. I couldn't take a step back." When Brower left, so did the Astros' offense. They loaded the bases without scoring in the fifth and seventh, and stranded nine runners in scoring position overall. The Reds walked a season-high 10 batters, but none of them scored. The wasted chances and the Astros' poor defense kept it close. Sadler scored on Dmitri Young's sacrifice fly in the first and on Young's single in the third. Truby's error let in a run and ended Bottenfield's outing with two outs in the sixth. Game notesAstros pitching coach Burt Hooton missed the game because his sister-in-law died. He will rejoin the team Tuesday. ... Lugo's leadoff homer was the first by an Astro since Roger Cedeno did it last Aug. 28. ... The Reds have scored in 199 consecutive games, an NL record and the third-longest streak all-time. ... Reds CF Ken Griffey Jr. took batting practice before the game, but is still a long way from returning from a torn hamstring. ... Larkin was out of the lineup because he felt tenderness in his groin while running out a grounder Saturday night. He came in at shortstop as part of a double switch in the seventh.  Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories
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