Bruce, Reds edge A's

Cincinnati, OH – Jay Bruce hit a two-run homer and knocked in three runs as the Cincinnati Reds held off the Oakland Athletics, 6-5, on Wednesday.

Corky Miller hit a pair of RBI doubles before leaving with a right quad contusion for the Reds, who swept this brief two-game set. Devin Mesoraco, who replaced Miller, drove in a run.

"He epitomizes, I think, what we do as baseball players," Bruce said of Miller. "He's been around forever, he's a grinder, he does things the right way. For him to come out and have a big day is awesome."

Cincinnati starter Homer Bailey (7-10) allowed five runs on nine hits over 5 1/3 innings.

Josh Donaldson hit a solo homer and knocked in two runs for the A's, who have lost three in a row. Eric Sogard, who came in for an injured Alberto Callaspo, went 2-for-2 with two RBI.

Oakland starter Bartolo Colon (14-4) had a rough outing, giving up five runs on seven hits over 2 2/3 innings. The right-hander had tossed six or more innings and allowed three runs or fewer in each of his previous 15 starts.

The Reds got on the board in the first inning. Shin-Soo Choo singled, Todd Frazier walked and Joey Votto singled to load the bases with no outs. Bruce grounded into a fielder's choice to plate the first run of the contest.

After Donaldson homered in the top of the second, Cincinnati scored another run in the bottom half. Zack Cozart singled and raced home on Miller's double to right.

The Reds tacked on three more runs in the third to take a 5-1 lead. Votto singled and scored on Bruce's one-out homer to right. Cozart worked a two-out walk and crossed the plate on Miller's double to left.

Oakland got one run back in the fourth. Brandon Moss reached base on an infield single and moved to third on Callaspo's two-out double to right. Stephen Vogt followed with a single to right that scored Moss. Callaspo also tried to score but suffered a left forearm contusion while being tagged out at the plate.

Cincinnati scored another run in the fifth to go back up by four. Xavier Paul led off with a ground-rule double to right, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and raced home when pinch-hitter Mesoraco reached first on third baseman Donaldson's fielding error.

The A's made things interesting by putting up a three-spot in the sixth. Jed Lowrie doubled and Moss singled to put men on the corners with one out. Donaldson's RBI single to left and Sogard's two-run triple to right cut the gap to 6-5.

"That would have been an easy game to just hang your head and say 'here we go again' but they didn't," A's manager Bob Melvin said of his club rallying late. "You try to take something positive from that."

Oakland put men on first and second with two outs in the eighth, but Josh Reddick flied out.

Aroldis Chapman pitched a perfect ninth to record his 27th save of the season.

Game Notes

Oakland is 10-6 all-time versus the Reds ... Colon, who fell to 3-1 lifetime against the Reds, was trying to win his seventh straight road start ... The Reds activated reliever Jonathan Broxton from the 15-day disabled list and optioned pitcher Pedro Villarreal to Triple-A Louisville ... Cincinnati won consecutive games for the first time since July 24 in San Francisco and July 25 in Los Angeles.