Sean Casey is hit in the head with a pitch by Phillies' Robert Person in the first inning. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

Reds head trainer Greg Lynn tends to Casey after he was hit. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        PHILADELPHIA — Saturday night's 5-2 victory followed the exact formula for success the Reds hope to follow this year.

        Well, all except the terrifying moment when Sean Casey was hit in the head by a pitch. But Casey is OK.

        “The CAT scan showed normal activity,” Reds manager Bob Boone said. “Whatever that means for Sean Casey.”

        So the Reds were a jovial bunch in the clubhouse, and why not? For the third night in a row, they rallied to win. And they extended their winning streak to four games.

        They did it with decent starting pitching, good offense against a strong starter and more lights-out work from the bullpen. The Reds are 7-4 and have won five of their last six games.

        “These guys can play a little bit,” Boone said. “They have a lot of enthusiasm, a lot of intensity. And they certainly believe in each other.”

        Joey Hamilton (1-0) pitched six solid innings to beat Robert Person, who was 15-7 last year.

        The Reds' bullpen extended its streak of scoreless innings to 19 1/3. Gabe White and Scott Sullivan got the game from Hamilton to closer Danny Graves, who earned his fifth save.

        Ruben Mateo replaced Casey in the lineup and responded by going 2-for-2 and driving in the go-ahead runs. And the Reds finally got what they expected from Adam Dunn, who hit his first homer of the season.

        Casey was hit on the helmet, just above his right ear, by a fastball from Person. The impact knocked Casey's helmet off and could be heard throughout Vet. The ball bounced all the way back to Person, who caught it on a fly.

        Casey went down in the dirt near the first-base line. Reds trainer Greg Lynn rushed out to attend to him. Casey stayed on the ground three or four minutes. He was able to walk off on his own.

        “That was scary,” Dunn said. “You just hold your breath and hope he's all right. Thank God, he is.”

        Casey was taken to a hospital for precautionary tests and is listed as day-to-day.

        With Casey out, Dunn moved to first — his first action there as a major leaguer. Mateo came in to run for Casey and played right field, Juan Encarnacion went from right to center, and Reggie Taylor went from center to left.

        Casey was hit in the first inning. Taylor was at third after tripling at the time. He was stranded there when Dunn grounded into a double play.

        The Phillies took a 1-0 lead in the first inning and added a run in the third. Each inning could have been worse.

        “As pitcher, you try to minimize the damage,” Hamilton said. “I was able to do that tonight.”

        The Reds tied it in the fourth. Mateo walked. Then Dunn hit a towering homer to right on Person's 0-2 pitch. It looked too high to go out. But Dunn has the power to hit them high and far. This one cleared the right field wall for Dunn's first home run of the year.

        “That's the highest thing I've ever hit,” he said. “With it 0-2, I'm just trying not to strike out,” Dunn said. I was just trying to put the bat on the ball.”

        That tied it at 2-all.

        After the Reds tied it, Hamilton worked a 1-2-3 fourth inning.

Todd Walker, bottom, breaks up a double play attempt as he takes out Phillies second baseman Marlon Anderson in the eighth inning. Juan Encarnacion was safe at first, and Ruben Mateo scored on the play. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        The Reds took the lead in the fifth. Hamilton doubled and after Taylor grounded out, Larkin walked. Mateo fell behind 0-2. “I thought he'd throw me a slider,” Mateo said. “I was waiting on it.” It went into the left-center gap for a two-run double to make it 4-2.

        Hamilton retired nine in a row before Lieberthal singled with one out in the sixth. He left after the sixth. Hamilton went six innings, allowing the two runs on seven hits. He walked one and struck out four.

        The Reds added a run in the eighth. Mateo and Dunn singled, and Aaron Boone sacrificed them to second and third. The Phillies intentionally walked Todd Walker and Encarnacion bounced to short, but the Phillies were unable to turn the double play. Mateo scored to make it 5-2.

        White relieved Hamilton and went 1 1/3 innings before giving way to Sullivan, who struck out both batters he faced. Graves pitched the ninth.

        “The bullpen is unbelievable,” Hamilton said. “Usually, I'd be upset to come out after the sixth. But with these guys you know you've got a pretty good shot at winning.”

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