Reds pitcher Gabe White gives catcher Jason LaRue a big hug after LaRue hit the game-winner in the bottom of the 10th inning. (Steven M. Herppich photo) | ZOOM |

        “Goin' to Chicago, baby. Sorry, but I can't take you.” — Singer Joe Williams.

        On a bright, sunny, Thursday afternoon at Cinergy Field, the Reds were four outs from being swept by the Astros in another pathetic offensive effort, when Aaron Boone slammed a three-run homer off ace Houston closer Billy Wagner for a one-run lead.

        The Reds relinquished the lead in the ninth, fell behind by a run in the 10th and then rallied with two runs in the bottom of the inning to win it 5-4.

        The Reds left immediately after the game for Chicago, where they begin a three-game series today against the Cubs.

        The “baby” who didn't make the trip was the 600-pound gorilla called doom.

        “We were looking at (the Astros) taking three games,” Boone said. “To lose would have been a little demoralizing.”

        Demoralizing? Try crushing.

Reds shortstop Barry Larkin misses tagging Houston's Morgan Ensberg as he slides safely into second. (Steven M. Herppich photo) | ZOOM |

        The Reds averted a four-game losing streak, went above .500 (8-7) and shook a horrendous hitting slump.

        The Reds' last two RBI belonged to Adam Dunn and Jason LaRue in a wild, double-comeback win before an announced crowd of 15,848 that had shrunk to half that by the time the business day special ended in three hours, 15 minutes.

        “Aaron and (Barry) Larkin and Dunn had been struggling a little bit, but with them playing under extreme pressure (of a close game), what came out was their ability,” Reds manager Bob Boone said. “(The pressure) took away the thoughts of mechanics and trying to be so perfect.”

        Aaron Boone swung through two breaking balls, then turned on a 2-2 Wagner fastball and launched it over the left-field wall.

        In the 10th inning, with Astros on second and third and no outs in the 3-3 game, a drawn-in Boone dove left to spear a hot smash of the bat of Richard Hidalgo, jumped up and spun 180 degrees and threw to LaRue, who tagged out Jeff Bagwell in a bang-bang play. Pinch hitter Lance Berkman, who had hit four home runs in two games here, singled, then Gabe White walked a run home.

        Larkin led off the 10th with a sharp single to center off Nelson Cruz. Juan Encarnacion advanced Larkin to second with a quick-pivot bunt single into the hole between shortstop and the pitcher.

        Up stepped the big fella.

        Dunn's at-bat was a show unto itself. First, he squared to bunt but took Ball1. Manager Boone took off the bunt sign, but Dunn attempted another sacrifice bunt, popping the ball up just out of reach of Astros catcher Brad Ausmus.

        “That would've been bad if he caught it — real bad,” Dunn said.

        Then he guessed that he'd get a changeup for Strike2, which he did (“right down the middle”), but he didn't pull the trigger.

Larkin slides safely into homeplate after a single by Adam Dunn, which tied the game in the tenth inning. Larkin touched the plate with his left hand as he slid by. (Steven M. Herppich photo) | ZOOM |

        “That was pretty smart of me,” Dunn said.

        Then he slammed a Cruz pitch into the upper-deck red seats to the wrong side of the right-field foul pole.

        “What I do four times out of five after something like that (hitting a foul ball a country mile) is strike out,” said Dunn, who instead singled off a changeup.

        Larkin scored the tieing run (does it seem like he's always doing that this season?) with a wide slide to the foul side of home plate, swiping the plate with his left arm going by, to narrowly beat the throw.

        The Astros intentionally loaded the bases and drew their left fielder in, but they abandoned their nickel package after forcing out Encarnacion at the plate.

        LaRue's single to the left-field corner would score Dunn for the winning run.

Two rallies stave off sweep Reds box, runs Kremchek says Jr. improving quickly Reds have OFs to burn Sunday's start goes to Rijo Reds notes: Acevedo demotion a signal Reds at Chicago Cubs Baseball notes: 3-12 Milwaukee fires Lopes as manager AL: Lofton helps White Sox sweep Indians NL: Sexson gives Royster win in managerial debut

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