Tapani’s Exit Gives Reds a Powerful Lift

With Kevin Tapani in the game, the Cincinnati Reds could barely get a hit, let alone a run. Once he came out, things changed in a hurry.

After the Cub pitcher left with a knee injury, Ken Griffey Jr., Dmitri Young and Pokey Reese homered in the eighth inning off reliever Steve Rain as the visiting Reds rallied for a 6-4 victory Friday over the Chicago Cubs.

Cincinnati pulled to within 4 1/2 games of National League Central-leading St. Louis, the closest it has been since July 5. Sammy Sosa hit his 36th home run, tying him with the Dodgers’ Gary Sheffield for the major league lead.

“Tap’s been tough on us all year,” Reds Manager Jack McKeon said. “You’re always glad to see him out of the game.”

Tapani pitched seven scoreless innings and the Reds were in danger of being shut out for the first time this season. But after Tapani gave up singles to pinch-hitter Alex Ochoa and Chris Stynes in the eighth, Manager Don Baylor sent the trainers out to check the pitcher’s right knee. Tapani, who has had tendinitis in his knee all season, left with a 4-0 lead.

With the left-handed Griffey looming and lefties hitting only .154 against right-hander Rain (3-2), Baylor went with him over left-hander Felix Heredia. Two batters later, though, Griffey homered to right-center field to cut Chicago’s lead to 4-3.

“Steve Rain has gotten hitters out all year,” Baylor said. “I never thought he was going to give up a homer on a split finger.”

Red reliever Mark Wohlers (1-1) got his first win since Sept. 4, 1997. He pitched one inning, walking one and striking out two.

Milwaukee 6, St. Louis 2--Richie Sexson homered and scored three runs, and Jeff D’Amico outdueled Darryl Kile as the Brewers beat the Cardinals at Milwaukee.

D’Amico (8-4), the NL pitcher of the month for July, had his second strong start in August, giving up six hits over eight innings and striking out six. With his slow curve in top form, he won his sixth straight decision and went to 6-0 with a 1.13 earned-run average since coming off the disabled list June 30.

Kile (13-8), who lost for the fourth time in six decisions, gave up a two-run homer to Sexson in the first inning before retiring 11 straight hitters.

But Kile, who yielded seven hits and struck out seven in six innings, gave up four solid singles in the sixth. Marquis Grissom and Henry Blanco each drove in a run with two-out hits, breaking a 2-2 tie.

Arizona 6, Pittsburgh 1--Armando Reynoso held the Pirates to a run over seven innings and Jay Bell, slumping badly for two months, drove in the Diamondbacks’ first two runs in a win at Pittsburgh.

Bell, who played on three NL East championship teams during eight seasons in Pittsburgh, was batting .218 since June 1 before his run-scoring single in the fifth and RBI double in the seventh.

Luis Gonzalez finished up Arizona’s go-ahead, three-run seventh inning with a two-run homer off Dan Serafini (1-1). It was the Diamondbacks’ first homer in four games.

Colorado 10, Montreal 3--Larry Walker hit his fourth career grand slam and Brian Bohanon homered and pitched seven strong innings to lead the Rockies at Montreal.

Todd Helton went two for two, including a two-run, first-inning double off Dustin Hermanson (8-10), to raise his major league-leading average to .387.

Bohanon (6-8), who gave up nine hits and one run, hit his second career homer with two outs in the fourth and added a run-scoring double in the sixth. He was hitting .080 (2 for 25) with one RBI coming in.

San Diego 3, Florida 0--Adam Eaton pitched eight strong innings, giving up six hits in the longest outing of his career to lead the Padres past the Marlins at Miami.

Eaton (4-2) struck out six and walked two en route to his fourth career win in 14 starts.

The victory was the Padres’ 10th in their last 13 games.

Houston 7, Philadelphia 2--Lance Berkman drove in four runs, including a three-run double in a five-run ninth inning, as the Astros beat the Phillies in a meeting between the two worst teams in the majors at Philadelphia.