SAN DIEGO — The Reds are learning what most other teams already know: Power cures any number of baseball's ills.

Jason LaRue gets a handshake from Ron Oester after his HR. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        Continuing to flex their muscles, the Reds received consecutive home runs from Dmitri Young, Jason LaRue and Pokey Reese in Friday night's sixth inning to highlight their season-high seventh victory in a row, a 9-2 rout of the San Diego Padres.

        The Reds (45-63), who pounded a season-high six home runs Thursday at Los Angeles, had to keep slugging to nullify numerous flaws.

        They struck out 14 times, issued eight walks and loaded the bases three times for the Padres, who generated exactly zero runs in those innings.

        “We were doing it with mirrors,” said Reds manager and baseball purist Bob Boone, who was practically shuddering with disgust. “If you told me we'd strike out 14 times and walk eight, I wouldn't have (bet) on that one. But we'll take it. I guess that's what winning ugly is.”

Kevin Jarvis looks shellshocked after giving up three straight homers. | ZOOM |

        Young, who homered twice Thursday, belted Kevin Jarvis' first pitch of the sixth over the right-field barrier for his team-high 14th homer.

        LaRue deposi
his 10th homer of the year into the right-center field stands. Reese followed by lofting a 2-2 pitch to left field for his seventh homer.

        This outburst wasn't entirely surprising. Jarvis (8-9), a former Red, entered the game tied for third in the National League with 26 home runs allowed.

        Boone had an explanation for Jarvis' weakening: “We made him throw a lot of pitches by striking out a lot.”

        The last Cincinnati trio to homer consecutively was Michael Tucker, Ken Griffey Jr. and Young on May 13, 2000 at Houston.

Ken Griffey Jr. homers. | ZOOM |

        With the outcome essentially settled, Griffey contributed his 449th career homer leading off the ninth inning. That gave the Reds 10 homers in two games and 16 — by seven different players — during their winning streak.

        “Everybody's starting to swing the bats,” Reese said.

        Reds starter Jim Brower (6-7) benefited from his teammates' offense, though he was yanked after throwing 97 pitches in five innings. “I don't think I was tired, but I didn't make very good pitches,” Brower said.

        Brower still struck out a career-high seven, including the formidable pair of Phil Nevin and Ray Lankford with the bases loaded and one out in the fifth. Earlier, the right-hander coaxed an inning-ending fly ball from Nevin in the third after surrendering two singles and a walk.

        Scott Sullivan, who has been superb lately, ended the other San Diego threat by retiring Bubba Trammell and Ben Davis on three pitches in the seventh after Hector Mercado walked the bases full with one out.

Jim Brower had a wild night. | ZOOM |

        The Reds opened the scoring in the second inning after Aaron Boone, one of their hottest hitters, grounded a leadoff double past third base. San Diego second baseman Damian Jackson, the ex-Red, muffed Young's grounder for an error, which left Reds on the corners. LaRue, who began Friday hitting .343 (12-for-35) in his previous nine games, scored Boone by singling to center on Jarvis' first pitch.

        San Diego pulled even as Lankford, acquired Thursday from St. Louis for right-hander Woody Williams, buried Brower's first pitch of the fourth inning deep in the right-field seats for his 16th homer.

        The Reds broke the 1-1 tie in the fifth inning on Sean Casey's bases-loaded, two-out single that scored Brower and Todd Walker. Brower, batting an impressive .333 (8-for-24), singled with one out and moved to third on Walker's single before Griffey drew a two-out walk to load the bases. Casey, hitless in his previous seven at-bats, poked the first pitch into left field.

Pokey Reese is knocked off his feet at second base. | ZOOM |

        With the Reds leading, 6-1, San Diego reclaimed a run in its half of the sixth on a play that's guaranteed to appear on blooper videotapes for years to come.

        Trammell doubled and Davis singled off reliever Chris Nichting, leaving Padres on the corners with nobody out. Boone fielded D'Angelo Jimenez's ground ball and threw home, trapping Trammell off third base. LaRue, the catcher whose recent defense has been scintillating, ran Trammell back to third and relayed the ball to Boone. However, LaRue's peg struck the front of Trammell's helmet and caromed toward the infield. Trammell scored, but Walker quickly scooped up the ball and threw out Davis, who had strayed too far off third base.

        Cincinnati added a pair of runs in the seventh as Padres reliever Wascar Serrano wild-pitched home both Casey and Boone.

Reds 9, Padres 2 Reds fans contributing to Paul Brown Stadium Reitsma gets velocity back after rest Pitching has been good, too Boone putting it all together Reds box, runs

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