Jimmy Haynes had the best outing of the year. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        Starting pitching was supposed to be the end for the Reds. But 19 games into the season, the starters have held up their end of the deal just fine. And most nights, they've kept the Reds in the game.

        Jimmy Haynes did that Tuesday night as the Reds opened a six-game homestand with a 3-2 victory over the Colorado Rockies. Reds starters have avoided the dreaded knockout. Tuesday marked the 15th time in 19 games that the starter has made it through the fifth inning.

        “They're getting the game to our relievers with a chance to win,” shortstop Barry Larkin said. “We've been in just about every game. That's what it takes.”

        Given the chance to win, the Reds have seized it. Tuesday's victory made them 5-2 in one-run games. It was their sixth come-from-behind win. The Reds have won three straight, although no one has seemed to notice. The crowd Tuesday was 16,928. That included 2,410 straight-A students, so the paid attendance of 14,518 was the lowest of the year.

        During the three-game streak, Reds starters have an ERA of 1.47.

Juan Encarnacion cross the plate after his first-inning HR. (Brandi Stafford photo) | ZOOM |

        Haynes, a 29-year-old right-hander, has been the most inconsistent of the five starters currently in the rotation. Tuesday's start was his best of the year. Haynes (2-2) went six innings, allowing two runs on three hits. He walked three and struck out three and lowered his ERA from 7.24 to 5.95. That's still the highest among Reds starters.

        “I don't know if we have a (Curt) Schilling,” Reds manager Bob Boone said. “But I feel pretty good every night about the ability to shut the other team down. Elmer (Dessens) did that all last year. We didn't generate much offense for him, though.”

        The Reds clearly don't have a Schilling. But no one expected them to have a chance with a starting rotation that consisted of three very cheap free agents (Haynes, Dessens and Joey Hamilton), a guy coming off a 7-15 rookie season (Chris Reitsma) and a man with the world's most surgically repaired elbow (Jose Rijo).

Adam Dunn steals second. (Brandi Stafford photo) | ZOOM |

        But with this bullpen, you don't need great starting pitching. Five or six innings is usually enough. Tuesday the Reds managed only three runs and seven hits against the Rockies, who came in with the worst ERA in the National League (6.71). But Haynes' start was followed by three innings of scoreless relief from Luis Pineda, Gabe White and Danny Graves. The bullpen gives the starters confidence.

        “They're lights out right now,” Haynes said. “You can't ask for any more from them. It's a good feeling to hand it over to them.”

        Juan Encarnacion put the Reds on the board in the first inning with his fifth home run of the year. It was probably the most impressive of the five. It nearly cleared the 40-foot tarp, just to the left of the batter's eye, in center field.

        Haynes retired nine of the first 10 batters. But he put himself in a hole he couldn't get out of in the fourth. He walked Juan Uribe to start the inning. Larry Walker singled and Todd Helton walked, loading the bases with no outs.

Fans give way as Adam Dunn reaches into the stands after a foul ball. (Brandi Stafford photo) | ZOOM |

        “I don't want to give into Helton in that situation,” Haynes said. “I'd rather walk him and load the bases than give up a big fly.”

        The Rockies got a run home on Todd Zeile's sacrifice fly to center. Walker and Helton moved to second and third on a wild pitch. Walker scored when Todd Hollandsworth drove a ball to deep left that Adam Dunn tracked down. That made it 2-1, but Haynes stopped the damage there.

        His line — two runs in six innings — qualifies as another quality start. That has been the rule rather than the exception for the Reds' starters. In 12 of 19 games, the starting pitcher has gone at least five innings and given up two or fewer runs. The official criteria for a quality start are six or more innings, three or fewer runs. But in the Reds' case, with a deep bullpen, five innings is often enough.

        That keeps the Reds in games long enough for the offense to have a chance to win it. Tuesday, the Reds rallied in the fifth. Austin Kearns worked a walk to lead off. Jason LaRue followed with a double to left. After Haynes grounded out, Barry Larkin got a run home with a single to right. Larkin went 2-for-3 to raise his average to .227.

        “I'm still struggling to find it,” he said. “It's been a struggle to find consistency.”

Reds 3, Rockies 2 Reds box, runs SULLIVAN: Encarnacion brought all the tools Larkin gets back in the swing 3 top prospects on DL Reds Notebook: Davis rehab progressing Giants 12, Cubs 4 Yankees 2, A's 1

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