Todd Walker pumps his fist as he rounds first base after hitting a grand slam. (Craig Ruttle photo) | ZOOM |

        The Reds, especially without Ken Griffey Jr. in the lineup, may not strike most fans as sluggers. They entered Wednesday 12th in the National League in home runs. But load the bases and it's a different matter.

        One night after Austin Kearns hit his first career grand slam in the fifth inning, Todd Walker did the same thing Wednesday in the same inning to help the Reds beat the Florida Marlins 6-2 before a crowd of 20,314 at Cinergy Field.

        Walker added another homer in the eighth. Catcher Jason LaRue also went deep, as all six Reds runs scored on home runs.

        “It was a good night for us,” Walker said.

        Grand slams make for good nights, and Walker's slam was the third in three home games for the Reds and the fourth slam in the month of May. That's the most in any calendar month in the club's long history. The Reds lead the majors in slams with four.

        “Four. The season's a quarter over,” Reds manager Bob Boone said. “That means we'll get 16.”

WALKER WALLPAPER Click on right width for your monitor, then right click to Set As Wallpaper

Walker gets high-fives from teammates. (Craig Ruttle photo) 600 | 800 | 1024

        The Reds won the first two games of the three-game homestand after dropping three of four in St.Louis.

        The game was shaping up as a pitcher's duel between Reds starter Elmer Dessens and Florida's Ryan Dempster before Walker's homer.

        Dempster dug himself a deep hole in the fifth. Juan Encarnacion singled with one out, and Sean Casey and Adam Dunn drew back-to-back walks. That put the same runners on for Kearns who had been on Tuesday night when he hit his slam.

        The fans were on their feet when Kearns came up. He took a ball, then a strike. He then tried and failed to check his swing on back-to-back pitches, yielding a strikeout.

        “I think Austin struck out on purpose,” Walker said. “He didn't want to be the hero two nights in a row.”

        Dempster's stuff was beginning to lose its bite.

        “To load the bases, a pitcher has to throw a lot of pitches,” Boone said.

Walker takes a curtain call. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        Walker's plan, which is contrary to his usual approach, was to make Dempster throw a few more.

        “I thought about Austin's at-bat,” Walker said. “I had been swinging early in the count. I was thinking, "If I can just get ahead somehow ...' When I got to 3-1, I felt like I had two chances. He threw me the same pitch twice.”

        Walker fouled off the 3-1 pitch. He crushed the 3-2 pitch, a fastball in the same location — down and in.

        The fans were on their feet before it got out. They didn't sit down until Walker answered their curtain call.

        Walker's and Kearns' slams were similar in distance. Walker's traveled 366 feet, Kearns' 369. But it took Walker a little longer to get one. His came in his 2,156th major-league at-bat; Kearns' in his 93rd.

        Walker did learn something from Kearns' slam.

        Walker had not hit a home run since Opening Day, but he has been one of the Reds' hottest hitters lately. The grand slam extended his hitting streak to five games. He's hitting .555 (10-for-18) over the period and .370 (20-for-54) over his last 15 games.

        “I was so anxious the first month,” Walker said. “I've just relaxed a little. It doesn't take much to make a huge difference.”

Elmer Dessens allowed five hits and two runs in six innings. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        Walker's recent tear has raised his average from .202 to .258. Walker's second homer came in the eighth. It was his second career two-homer game and the five RBI were a career-high.

        “The second one felt like I barely swung,” Walker said. “I haven't been thinking home runs, and I hit two tonight.”

        Walker's slam gave the Reds a 4-0 lead.

        Dessens gave back half of it in the sixth. Luis Castillo led off with a single. An out later, Preston Wilson hit his seventh homer of the year.

        LaRue got one run back with his second home run in as many games. LaRue's second of the year went out the opposite way to right-center.

        That made it 5-2, but Bob Boone pinch hit for Dessens, who was due up next.

        “He was real solid,” Boone said. “But I had the rested bullpen. I'm very confident in them.”

        Dessens (3-3) allowed five hits and two runs in the six innings.

Reds 6, Marlins 2 Reds Box, Runs All-Star Game interests Reds Griffey on target for Friday Tiger sympathizes with Griffey Slumping Boone stays in lineup Marlins pitchers getting slammed Reds Notebook: Hamilton starts Friday Reitsma coming into his own Bonds ties McGwire with 583rd HR Cardinals 3, Astros 2 Rockies 5, Padres 3 Angels 7, Royals 6 Devil Rays 3, Mariners 2

Scott's absence perplexes Bengals
Hawkins sidelined 6-8 weeks
Bengals rookie finally arrives
Woods aims at Memorial four-peat
Lickliter driven to succeed
Golf tip from Gary McCord
Ducks lose coach to Anaheim
Luyendyk's place in car, not booth
Rutherford: Indy still greatest race
Red Wings 2, Avalanche 1
Coming up this week
Fairfield in arm's length of regional
Cincinnati high school results
Cincinnati high school schedule
N.Ky. high school highlights
N.Ky. high school results
N.Ky. high school schedule
Boys track honor roll
Girls track honor roll
Ohio baseball poll
Ohio softball poll
Ohio tennis poll

• Return to Reds front page...