PHILADELPHIA — The real Barry Larkin showed up Friday night at the Vet in the Reds' 8-5 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.

        Larkin has played nine of the Reds' 10 games this season. But he didn't play like the vintage Larkin until Friday.

Reds catcher Jason LaRue consoles pitcher Chris Reitsma as the Phillies scored five runs in the third inning. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        Larkin went 2-for-5 with a double, a triple and a stolen base. He scored two runs and drove in another. He just missed a home run in his final at-bat.

        He also made three nice plays in the field.

        “I had fun out there tonight,” he said. “I made some plays. I got a chance to hit in clutch situations.”

        Larkin is coming off a pair of major injuries (sports hernia, torn groin muscle) that limited him to 45 games last year.

        “I've got to realize it's been a year and half since I've been able to go out there and compete,” he said. “I've been trying to do too much. That resulted in me pulling the rib cage muscle.”

        He missed one game with the injury. But his struggles at the plate go back further. He came into Friday hitting .188. But he hit the ball hard every time up and showed his old speed.

        “Lark's looking healthy,” Sean Casey said. “We need him.”

        Larkin even made a classic Larkin play. He went in the hole to field Scott Rolen's ball and then threw out Rolen by bouncing the ball off the turf.

        “Got to use the turf,” he said.

        Adding to the good old times theme was the fact that Larkin got to play behind Jose Rijo.

        “It was fun to be out there watching him do his thing,” Larkin said.

        PINEDA APPEAL: On second thought, Luis Pineda will appeal his three-game suspension. That meant Pineda was available to pitch Friday night against the Philadelphia Phillies.

        Major League Baseball discipline chief Bob Watson suspended Pineda for three games for hitting Chicago Cub Todd Hundley with a pitch on April3. There was much debate after Thursday's game as to whether Pineda would appeal or not. Pineda left the clubhouse believing he would not appeal. However, after player representative Aaron Boone talked with the Players Association, it was decided Pineda would appeal.

        “It's up to him,” Reds manager Bob Boone said. “He has that right.”

        Pineda has repeatedly said he did not hit Hundley intentionally.

        “It was an accident,” Aaron Boone said. “There's no doubt in my mind. (The Players Association) wants to do what the player feels is right. There are a lot of big-name guys who throw at people. To make Luis an example is not right.”

        Pineda, the right-hander the Reds got from Detroit in the Dmitri Young trade, was caught in a tough spot. He was one of the last players to make the team. He is coming off one of his best performances of the year the day the suspension came down.

        “I don't want to lose three days when we're playing well,” Pineda said.

        Jose Rijo, Pineda's mentor, was livid that baseball suspended Pineda.

        “He's a young kid. He don't want to have a bad outing,” Rijo said. “There is no way he was throwing at him.”

        Hitting Hundley loaded the bases with no outs. There's no way Pineda was ordered to hit Hundley. Pineda's ejection forced Scott Sullivan into a game that was a blowout.

        Bob Boone advised Pineda to take the suspension Thursday, but Boone said he understood understands the decision to appeal.

        “He's trying to satisfy everyone,” Boone said. “He knows in his heart that he didn't throw at the guy. (Pitching coach Don Gullett) and I have been telling him to throw inside.

        “We've seen him go haywire. He threw 10 of 11 balls in a game. It's not like he's Tom Seaver.”

        There is no set date for the appeal.

        “It's whenever Bob Watson can do it,” Bob Boone said.

        NO NOSTALGIA: This is the second-to-last year for Veterans Stadium. Bob Boone played 10 years in the Vet, but he won't miss it, despite the memories.

        “I'll still have the memories,” he said. “But I'm not sorry to see any of the old stadiums go. The new ones are so much nicer.”

        ELMER JR. Elmer Dessens' wife, Lorenia, gave birth to their first child Friday. Elmer Dessens Jr. was born in Cincinnati. Elmer Sr. left Philadelphia around 11 a.m.

        He just made it to the hospital in time for the 3:58 p.m. birth. Dessens is expected to return to Philly today and start Sunday.

        UP NEXT: The Reds play the Phillies in the second game of the series at 7:05. Right-hander Joey Hamilton (0-0, 2.25 ERA) faces right-hander Robert Person (0-1, 2.77). The game will be on Fox Sports Net.

Reds 8, Phillies 5 Reds box, runs Reds notes: Larkin dominates like Larkin of old AL: Tigers still winless NL: Maddux up to old tricks Detroit taps Alou to give Pujols a hand MLB Notes: M's lose Martinez to surgery

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