Reds pitcher Jimmy Haynes fails to come up with ball as he watches San Diego's Tom Lampkin reach first base. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        SAN DIEGO - Given a second chance in as many nights to gain on the St. Louis Cardinals, the Reds took advantage of it Saturday.

        They beat the San Diego Padres 4-3 before a crowd of 39,341 at Qualcomm Stadium. Russell Branyan's two-run home run in the third was the key blow offensively.

        Jimmy Haynes and relievers Gabe White, John Riedling and Danny Graves made the one-run lead stand up for six innings while the Reds' offense spun its wheels.

        Branyan was also involved in 7-3-2 play at the plate that ended up being the game saver.

        “That was a big play there,“ Haynes said.

        “We didn't play too pretty out there,“ Reds manager Bob Boone said. “But we'll take any win at this point.“

        As a result, the Reds woke up today three games behind the Cards in the National League Central. That's as close as they've been since they were 2 games out on July 12. The Reds have taken two games off the lead in four days.

        The Cardinals lost their second straight to the Atlanta Braves 6-1 Saturday.

        Haynes didn't pitch particularly well or particularly long Saturday night. But he pitched just well enough and just long enough to earn his 12th win of the season, equaling a career-high.

        “I didn't have anything,“ Haynes said. “It seemed like they had two guys on every inning.“

        Haynes (12-6) went five innings, allowing three runs on nine hits. He walked two and struck out one. He is 5-0 in his last nine starts and 9-1 in his last 14.

Russell Branyan (33) receives congratulatins from teammates after he hit a two-run homer in the third inning. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        “He made big pitches when he had to,“ Boone said. “That's how you win games. He's learning that.” Former Red -- and former Jack McKeon whipping boy -- Brett Tomko took the loss. Tomko (5-7) pitched just badly enough to lose. He went seven innings, allowing four runs on only four hits. He walked four - all in the first inning - and struck five.

        “He was tough,“ Branyan said. “We were lucky we got those two runs early. Both sides kind of settled in and pitchers took over the game.”

        The Reds had a chance to break it open early because of Tomko's bout with wildness. He said before the game that he wasn't putting added pressure on himself because he facing his old club for the first time. But he certainly pitched like it in the first. Todd Walker walked, Aaron Boone singled and Adam Dunn walked to the load the bases with no outs in the first.

        Walker scored on Austin Kearns' groundout. Branyan walked to reload the bases. Barry Larkin got a run home by walking on a 3-2 pitch. It was 2-0 with bases still loaded and one out.

        A big hit, and Tomko might have been done. But Reggie Taylor popped to third, and Jason LaRue lined to right. Tomko was out of it, but he throw 38 pitches in the inning.

        The Padres came back to take a 3-2 lead in the second. One out into the inning, Brian Buchanan hit a high cropper to Haynes for an infield single. Tom Lampkin singled up the middle. Tomko sacrificed the runners to second and third.

Todd Walker fires to first after getting a sliding Trenidad Hubbard out during the eighth inning. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        Haynes then got the groundball he needed out of the inning off the bat Ramon Vazquez, but it took a strange hop and went off first baseman Adam Dunn's shoulder and into a right field for a double.

        “I didn't know what to do,“ Dunn said. “Maybe I should have charged it. Maybe I should have let hit me in the face. Then only one run would have scored.” Vazquez then scored from second when a wild pitch with Mark Kotsay at the plate got away from LaRue. LaRue looked left, and the ball went right. He finally found it, ran it down and got it Haynes about the time Vazquez was stepping on the plate.

        The lead didn't last long.

        Kearns singled with one out in the third. Branyan crushed the very next pitch. It landed in the seats above right field for Branyan's sixth home run as a Red.

        “It was something straight,“ Branyan said. “He may have taken something off a fastball or thrown a changeup a little too hard.“

        Just like that, it was 4-3.

        The Reds saved a run with heads-up defense in bottom of the third. Deivi Cruz singled with two outs. Gene Kingdale followed with a line drive to left center. Center fielder Taylor tried to make diving catch, but the ball

        skipped under his glove. Left fielder Branyan retrieved it. He relayed to Dunn, who threw to LaRue to get Cruz at the plate.

        “I just got the ball back to the middle of the infield,“ Branyan said.

        “Adam made a nice relay. It was reminiscent of Derek Jeter's play (ALCS last year). Well, not quite that.“

        Dunn agreed.

        “I just caught it and threw it,“ he said. “I don't even know what I was doing there. I'm not supposed to be there, am I?“

        Actually, Dunn, who was between the third base line and the mound, was just where he was supposed to be.

        Tomko went on an impressive roll after the Branyan home run. He retired 14 of the final 15 batters he faced.

        After Haynes left, White (one inning), Riedling (two innings) and Graves (one inning) closed it out. Graves earned his 29th save.

Reds 4, Padres 3 Reds box, runs Reds Q&A Staff ace, Dessens, could be destined for DL Braves 6, Cardinals 1 Five Questions with Bill Aker Louisville 8, Charlotte 7

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