Harang, Reds beat Astros 6-2
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HOUSTON (AP) — Aaron Harang pitched six solid innings and Ryan Hanigan drove in three runs to give the Cincinnati Reds a 6-2 win over the Houston Astros on Tuesday night.
The win breaks a five-game road skid for the Reds and halts Houston's winning streak at three.
It's the first win of the season for Harang (1-3), who allowed a season-low two runs. Houston scored in the first inning, before he settled down after his previous two starts where he allowed a combined 14 earned runs.
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The Reds were leading 2-1 before their three-run sixth inning made it 5-1 and they held on for the win.
Hanigan, who went 2 for 3, drove in both runs in the second inning and added an RBI in the sixth.
Harang allowed eight hits with a walk and six strikeouts in six innings. Daniel Ray Herrera pitched a perfect seventh before Nick Masset did the same in the eighth and Francisco Cordero finished it off with a scoreless ninth.
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Houston had runners at first and third with two outs in the third inning before Harang escaped any trouble by striking out Lance Berkman.
Berkman got Houston's first extra-base hit in the sixth inning with a ground-rule double that hit just inside the line before bouncing into the stands. A single by Geoff Blum came before Berkman scored on a sacrifice fly that got Houston within 5-2.
Brandon Phillips helped Harang get out of that inning with a nifty leaping catch on a ball hit by Tommy Manzella.
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Cincinnati hit three straight singles with no outs in the sixth inning. The third one, by Jonny Gomes, knocked home Jay Bruce and pushed Cincinnati's lead to 3-1 and chased Astros starter Bud Norris (1-2).
Hanigan made it four singles in a row with his run-scoring hit off Jeff Fulchino. Drew Stubbs made it 5-1 when Gomes scored on his sacrifice fly.
Harang singled in the fifth inning before Stubbs walked. Norris retired the next three batters to get out of that jam.
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Norris gave up six hits and five runs with four walks while striking out six in five innings.
Norris hit Scott Rolen with a pitch to start the second inning before walking Bruce. A single by Hanigan drove in Rolen and Bruce to give Cincinnati a 2-1 lead.
Michael Bourn got hit by a pitch in the first inning before stealing second and reaching third when catcher Hanigan overthrew second base. He made it 1-0 when he scored on a groundout by Jeff Keppinger.
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The Reds added a run in the eighth inning when Orlando Cabrera scored on a balk by Sammy Gervacio.
NOTES: Astros ace Roy Oswalt rejoined the team on Tuesday after spending several days in Mississippi helping his parents in the aftermath of a tornado that destroyed their home. ... Tuesday was the seventh game of a nine-game homestand for Houston, which is playing 22 of its first 31 games at home.