Astros top Reds for first series win in a month

Cincinnati, OH – Matt Dominguez hit a three-run homer to power the Houston Astros to a 5-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds in the rubber match of a three-game set.

Fernando Martinez had a sacrifice fly and scored a run for Houston, which had lost four of its last six coming in.

Edgar Gonzalez (2-0) struck out six and allowed a run on two hits and a walk in five innings to earn the win.

National League Cy Young candidate Johnny Cueto (17-8) also fanned six, but surrendered four runs on nine hits and a walk over four frames to drop back- to-back starts for the first time since the All-Star break for the Reds, who have lost five of their last eight games.

"What hurt him was that three-run homer by Dominguez. It was a high change- up," Reds manager Dusty Baker said about Cueto.

Jay Bruce tallied two hits, including an RBI triple, in defeat.

The Astros jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the first three frames.

In the first, three straight singles by Jimmy Paredes, Brian Bogusevic and Brett Wallace loaded the bases before Martinez lifted a sacrifice fly to center field. Dominguez then grounded into a 6-4-3 double to end the threat.

Wallace singled and Martinez walked with two outs in the third before Dominguez crushed a three-run shot deep into the seats in left field.

"I feel good right now. I feel confident and relaxed," Dominguez said. "I'm getting some good pitches to hit and I'm putting the barrel on them."

Joey Votto worked a one-out a walk in the fourth inning and scored when Bruce smacked a triple to deep center, but Houston got the run back in the sixth on Tyler Greene's solo blast to right field, which made it 5-1.

Game Notes

Houston was 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position and stranded seven, while Cincinnati finished 0-for-6 with RISP and left six men on base ... Dominguez's homer was his third of the season.