Sean Casey high-fives teammates after the game. (Steven M. Herppich photo) | ZOOM |

        The charmed life continues for the Reds. They extended their winning streak to five games Thursday night with a 4-3 victory over the Colorado Rockies before a crowd of 14,416 at Cinergy Field.

        Give these Reds a break and they'll take it and turn it into a win — just ask the Rockies. The Reds completed the three-game sweep by scoring two runs in the seventh to tie it, then scored an unearned run in the eighth to win it.

        The Reds are 7-2 in one-run games and have come from behind to win seven times.

        “Isn't that a sign of a good team? When you come back and win, and win one-run games?” reliever Gabe White said.

        The Reds have been good so far. They are 13-8, a half game behind the Pittsburgh Pirates in the National League Central.

      During the five-game winning streak, the Reds averaged 4.4 runs a game. They entered Thursday ranked 11th in the National League in runs.

Todd Walker stretches to tag out Gary Bennett. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

          “We keep grinding it out,” Reds manager Bob Boone said. “We're still not hitting like we think we will. Tonight (starter Joey) Hamilton struggled the whole way. That was a real grind job. (Colorado starter Denny) Neagle had our number for a while. But we stayed with it until we got a break.”

        With their bats in semi-slumber, the Reds have gotten by with decent starting pitching, great relief pitching, good defense and a little timely hitting.

        “We're never out of it,” said Brady Clark, who had two RBI in the seventh to tie the score 3-3.

        Hamilton struggled with his control from the start Thursday. Two walks led to a first-inning run. But Hamilton made a miraculous escape, even though five runners reached base in the inning.

      “The key in baseball is minimizing the damage,” Hamilton said. “I was able to do that.”

Juan Encarnacion is greeted by Casey after hitting a first-inning HR. (Steven M. Herppich photo) | ZOOM |

          The Reds tied it 1-1 in their half of the first when Juan Encarnacion hit his sixth home run of the year and second in three nights. Like most of Encarnacion's homers, this one was a bolt to left field.

        Two more Reds would reach against Neagle, but he got out of the inning.

        The Rockies made it 2-1 in the third, and Neagle settled down. He retired 11 straight before hitting Jason LaRue with a pitch with one out in the fifth.

        Hamilton went six innings, but as usual he walked a tightrope. He allowed two runs on six hits, walked six — the high for a Reds pitcher this season — and struck out three. In five starts, Hamilton has allowed 52 baserunners in 30 innings, but his ERA is 3.30.

Barry Larkin forces Todd Helton and throws for the double play. (Steven M. Herppich photo) | ZOOM |

        “My job is to keep us in games,” Hamilton said. “It doesn't matter if I walk none or walk six.”

        It was the 14th time in the 21 games a Reds starter has given up two or fewer runs.

        Left-hander White allowed a run in the seventh to make it 3-1.

        The Reds chased Neagle in the seventh. Todd Walker and Ruben Mateo opened the inning with back-to-back singles, and the Rockies brought right-hander Todd Jones to face LaRue. The Reds countered by sending switch-hitter Wilton Guerrero up for LaRue.

        Guerrero bunted the runners to second and third.

        “Another great bunt by Wilton,” Boone said.

Manager Bob Boone congratulates Brady Clark. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        Clark, who entered in the top of the inning on a double switch, broke an 0-for-14 drought by dropping a single into right field to score Walker and Mateo. But Clark went too far rounding first and was out when right fielder Larry Walker threw behind him.

        “I've been in a little slump,” Clark said. “There couldn't have been a better time to come out of it.”

        The Reds took the lead in the eighth. Or, more correctly, the Rockies gave it to them. Todd Walker walked for the just the third time all season, then moved to second on Rick White's wild pitch.

        Walker scored when third baseman Todd Zeile threw wildly while trying to get Mateo, and the Reds had a 4-3 lead.
       

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