NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Third Time the Charm for Reds’ Rookie Owens

Eric Owens had bunted in the eighth inning Tuesday night, but in the 10th the Reds wanted more.

He chased a high fastball with his first major league swing and looked like a kindergartner doing it.

A few hours removed from the minor leagues, he looked as though he had a round-trip ticket in his pocket.

His second swing was no better.

On the third, he slapped a pitch by Dan Miceli (0-2) through the right side of the infield to drive in Thomas Howard for the 10th-inning run that beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 2-1, in Cincinnati.

It was an ugly story with a happy ending.

“When I hit it, I thought it had a chance,” Owens said. “I was praying when I hit it. Actually, I almost forgot where first base was when I hit it, I was so excited that I hit the ball.”

At all. That’s the way it has been going for the Reds, who have won 13 of 15. Tuesday night, they did it the hard way, getting only one hit in the first eight innings but taking a 1-0 lead in the seventh on Jeff King’s error.

The Pirates, who have lost five in a row, tied it in the eighth by scoring a run when Jacob Brumfield hit into a double play.

San Diego 1, Philadelphia 0--Fernando Valenzuela (2-2) drove in the only run of the game on a second-inning groundout at San Diego and pitched six strong innings for his first victory as a Padre starter.

San Diego handed the Phillies their fifth loss behind Valenzuela’s three-hit effort.

Bryce Florie, Brian Williams and Trevor Hoffman completed the six-hitter for the Padres, with Hoffman getting his sixth save.

Florida 7, Houston 6--Charles Johnson’s 11th-inning double, his third of the game, scored Greg Colbrunn from second base and gave the Marlins a victory at Houston. The Astros’ five-game winning streak was snapped, as was the Marlins’ three-game losing streak.

Atlanta 17, Chicago 3--Ryan Klesko drove in six runs with two of the Braves’ five home runs and Atlanta had a 20-hit attack in an easy victory at home.

Klesko and Chipper Jones each had four hits and Jones, Jeff Blauser and Javier Lopez also homered for the Braves, who had also won on Monday to break a five-game losing streak in which they scored nine runs.

San Francisco 2, New York 1--Rikkert Faneyte’s pinch-hit single over the head of center fielder Brett Butler with one out in the ninth inning scored Royce Clayton to give the Giants a victory at home.

Colorado 5, St. Louis 4--Walt Weiss drew a bases-loaded walk in the eighth inning to break a tie in Denver, and the Rockies earned their 11th come-from-behind win.