Mahler Hurt as Reds Lose to Phillies, 4-2

Von Hayes broke a 2-2 tie with a seventh-inning homer, John Kruk followed with another, and Carmelo Martinez had two RBI singles as the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Cincinnati Reds 4-2 today.

Bruce Ruffin (2-2) allowed seven hits over 6 1/3 innings to give the Phillies a split of their two-game series.

The Reds lost a starting pitcher to injury for the second time in three days when Rick Mahler pulled a thigh muscle running out a third-inning grounder and left the game. Danny Jackson was lost for two weeks when he bruised a forearm Sunday.

Tim Birtsas (1-1) replaced Mahler and allowed three of the four Phillies’ runs, including the solo homers in the seventh by Hayes and Kruk.

Martinez singled home a run off Mahler in the first inning and did it again in the fifth off Birtsas to make it 2-0.

Chris Sabo drove home the Reds’ first run with a two-out single in the fifth. The Reds tied it in the sixth on two-out doubles by Mariano Duncan and Paul O’Neill.

But Hayes hit his third homer with one out in the seventh to snap the tie. One out later, Kruk homered into the second deck in right field.