Elmer Dessens pitched six scoreless inning. (AP photos) | ZOOM |

        MILWAUKEE — Writing off the Reds this season has meant you're wrong. Each time they've been down and seemingly about to drift into oblivion, they have responded.

        The Reds made it three wins in a row Tuesday night by beating the Milwaukee Brewers 6-1 before 20,069 fans at Miller Park.

        The winning streak follows a three-game skid, which put the Reds' season on the brink, again.

        “That's us,” Reds manager Bob Boone said. “We've been a pretty good ballclub all year. You're going to lose some games.”

        Reds right-hander Elmer Dessens (6-5) went six innings, allowing only three hits, walking three and striking out four. He lowered his ERA to 2.91.

        “I just followed my plan,” Dessens said. “Throw strikes, get ahead, use the changeup.”

Jason LaRue (right) is greeted by Sean Casey after one of his homers. | ZOOM |

        Jason LaRue single-handedly provided the Reds' offense, hitting two home runs for five RBI. His solo homer in the fifth opened the scoring, and his three-run shot highlighted a five-run eighth that broke open the game.

        Since the All-Star break, Reds starters are 4-2 with a 3.34 ERA. Throw out the one bad start by newly acquired Ryan Dempster, and they are 4-1 with a 2.06 ERA.

        The Reds swept the two-game series and pushed their record this season against the Brewers to 11-2.

        The Reds went into the game knowing the St. Louis Cardinals already had defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 9-2. That meant a Reds loss would have dropped them a season-high 4 1/2 games behind the first-place Cardinals in the National League Central.

        “We've always come back all year,” LaRue said. “We're .500 on the road trip so far. Hopefully, we can go to Pittsburgh and win two or at least split. That would be a great road trip.”

Reggie Taylor is out at home. | ZOOM |

        The Reds faced Milwaukee right-hander Ben Sheets, who held them to one run on three hits over 8 1/3innings May 16 at Miller Park. The Reds ended up winning that one 2-1 in 11 innings.

        Sheets (4-11) was on again Tuesday. He retired the first seven Reds before Reggie Taylor singled with one out in the third. Dessens struck out trying to bunt Taylor over, and that proved costly.

        Todd Walker followed with a double off the right-field wall. Matt Stairs fielded the ball and threw to second base, but the Brewers still managed to get Taylor at the plate on shortstop Jose Hernandez's relay.

        Dessens retired the first nine batters. The first Brewer to reach — Alex Sanchez on a leadoff single in the fourth — was thrown out trying to steal by LaRue. Sanchez was the 17th of 34 would-be base-stealers LaRue has thrown out this season.

Barry Larkin slides back into third. | ZOOM |

        LaRue broke the scoreless tie with his third homer of the year — a solo shot to left-center to lead off the fifth. It was LaRue's first homer since May 22.

        Dessens faced his only trouble in the fifth. He retired Stairs, thanks to a nice play by left fielder Russell Branyan, to start the inning. Tyler Houston then reached on an infield single.

        Hernandez followed with a high fly ball to right field. It fell and bounced over the wall for a ground-rule double.

        That put runners on second and third with one out. Dessens walked Robert Machado to get to Sheets, who struck out, and retired Sanchez on a groundout to escape the jam.

        “I got Sheets with sinkers,” Dessens said. “I started Sanchez with breaking balls. He grounded out on a sinker away.”

        The game was a cliffhanger until the eighth, when left-hander Ray King replaced Sheets. Aaron Boone worked a one-out walk and stole second. After Dunn grounded out, Barry Larkin was intentionally walked.

        The Reds sent up Austin Kearns to pinch hit for Branyan, and the Brewers countered by bringing in right-hander Jayson Durocher.

        The move didn't work for Milwaukee: Kearns hit a two-run triple.

        The Brewers then intentionally walked Sean Casey, but that move didn't work either. LaRue hit his second homer of the night, making it 6-0.

        “After they intentionally walked Casey,” LaRue said, “I told myself to look for a pitch I could handle. I got a fastball, and it went out.”

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