Reds Learn a Lesson the Hard Way

Believing their eight-run lead after two innings was safe, the Cincinnati Reds relaxed, substituted and chalked it up as a win.

They probably won’t do that again.

J.D. Drew hit a two-run home run off Danny Graves in the eighth inning as the St. Louis Cardinals pulled off their biggest rally in 10 years, beating the Reds, 10-8, Sunday at Cincinnati.

Drew had a two-run single in the fifth inning that started the comeback, and homered with two outs in the eighth to leave the third-place Cardinals feeling that their season is finally turning.

St. Louis hadn’t pulled off such a comeback since it trailed Atlanta by nine runs on May 9, 1992, and wound up winning, 12-11.

“You never know what can happen,” said Drew, who had only one hit in 13 at-bats before leading the comeback. “We could have shut it down and tried to get out early and gone home.”

Reggie Taylor’s first grand slam helped the Reds take an 8-0 lead after two innings. Manager Bob Boone then substituted for shortstop Barry Larkin, who had singled and doubled but often leaves when a game appears decided to as a hedge injury.

The rest of the lineup went flat as Cincinnati had its biggest blown lead since Sept. 4, 1989, when San Francisco overcame an 8-0 deficit in Cincinnati and won, 9-8.

The Cardinals scored five runs in the middle innings off Elmer Dessens, who faded fast, then pulled out their second win against the Reds’ closer. In the series opener, Edgar Renteria hit a two-run homer off Graves in the eighth inning for a 4-2 victory.

Gabe White got two outs in the eighth before Graves (1-1) relieved with two on. Placido Polanco doubled home two runs and scored the tying run on Fernando Vina’s bad-hop double over Adam Dunn at first base.

Drew hit Graves’ second pitch high over the wall in right-center, prompting the Cardinal dugout to erupt in cheers and high-fives. Graves was booed loudly by the crowd of 20,622 as he walked off the field after the inning.

Montreal 4, San Francisco 2--Brad Wilkerson hit a foul ball that broke a glass pane behind home plate, then hit a tiebreaking single in the seventh inning at Olympic Stadium.

Vladimir Guerrero hit his 11th homer for the Expos as Montreal’s Frank Robinson recorded his 700th victory as a major league manager.

Barry Bonds hit his 12th homer of the season and 579th of his career. Robinson ranks fourth on baseball’s all-time list with 586 and Mark McGwire is fifth with 583.

The game was delayed for eight minutes in the second inning after Wilkerson’s foul shattered the glass.

Tony Armas Jr. (5-3) gave up five hits and two runs in seven innings. Former Dodger Matt Herges got the last out for his sixth save.

Milwaukee 13, Chicago 4--Raul Casanova and Richie Sexson hit grand slams in consecutive innings as the Brewers handed Jon Lieber his first loss at Wrigley Field in almost a year.

The Brewers swept the Cubs in the rain-shortened three-game series after winning only two of their first 18 road games. Chicago lost its fourth in a row.

The game started after a rain delay of 1 hour 55 minutes.

Casanova’s slam in the seventh inning made it 9-1 and Sexson connected in the eighth.

The Cubs had won the last 16 times Lieber started at Wrigley. Their last loss at home with Lieber (3-2) on the mound was last May 18 against Randy Johnson and Arizona.

Philadelphia 3, Arizona 1--Travis Lee did some damage against his former club at Philadelphia.

Lee had four hits in four at-bats with a home run and former Dodger Terry Adams pitched six strong innings to pick up his first victory for the Phillies.

Lee, obtained by the Phillies along with Vicente Padilla, Omar Daal and Nelson Figueroa for Curt Schilling in 2000, is 13 for 40 against Arizona with three home runs and six RBIs.

Colorado 4, New York 3--Larry Walker, hitless in his first four at-bats, hit a two-run homer in the 13th inning at Shea Stadium. Juan Uribe drew a four-pitch walk from Kane Davis (1-1) to start the inning. Walker followed with his eighth homer.

Rain delayed the start for 63 minutes. The Rockies finished their nine-game trip by winning four of six after an 0-3 start. The Mets have lost seven of eight.

Houston 5, Pittsburgh 1--Shane Reynolds wasn’t going to let the Astros go home winless from a weeklong trip, no matter how long it took. He shrugged off an 86-minute rain delay and limited the Pirates to two hits over six innings.

San Diego 6, Atlanta 5--Deivi Cruz singled home the go-ahead run in the seventh inning, helping the Padres snap a five-game losing streak. They avoided an 0-6 trip, which would have tied a franchise record. Trevor Hoffman pitched the ninth for his 12th save.