Brian Moehler is starting to settle in, leaving the Cincinnati Reds with a little better feeling about their pennant-race chances.

        Moehler pitched his best game since a July 23 trade, giving up four hits in seven innings, as the Reds stopped their slide and beat the Houston Astros 9-3 Friday night.

        The right-hander was a disappointment soon after he arrived from Detroit, but has made two solid starts in a row, fostering hope that the trade may yet pay off.

        “I enjoy it here,” said Moehler, now 2-2 in five starts for the Reds. “It's a matter of getting comfortable. I like the guys here and my wife is settling in. I felt good tonight, but you never know — the balls could start falling in.”

        They didn't. The Astros scored only one earned run — Cincinnati's three errors set up Houston's other two runs — as they wasted a chance to gain ground in the NL Central.

Aaron Boone congratulates teammate Austin Kearns for his 2-run dinger in the third inning. (Greg Ruffing photo) | ZOOM |

        Austin Kearns and Barry Larkin paced Cincinnati with breakout games. Kearns hit his first homer in more than two months, and Larkin had three hits and drove in three runs to emerge from his season-long slump.

        Kearns knew it had been a long time since he had homered — his teammates wouldn't let him forget. He connected off Dave Mlicki (4-9) in the third, his first homer since June 14.

        “The last thing I want to do is go up there and try to hit home runs,” said Kearns, who hadn't homered in 175 at-bats. “I don't have a swing like that. I try to hit through the ball and drive in runs.

        “Guys would talk about it, but I never took it up to the plate. It was nothing serious.”

        Larkin, a .299 career hitter, has been in a serious slump all season. He took extra batting practice before Friday's game and decided to try an old approach — keeping his bat back instead of pulling the ball.

        “I've been taking extra hitting the whole season,” said Larkin, batting .246. “This is the first time I've found something. I abandoned my approach that I had all year and went back to what I think I used to do, and it worked.”

Barry Larkin slides safely into second base for a stolen base. (Greg Ruffing photo) | ZOOM |

        Mlicki had another in a series of poor starts since he returned from a strained abdominal muscle. The right-hander gave up six hits and five walks, leaving without getting an out in the fifth.

        In five starts since returning from the disabled list, Mlicki is 1-3 with a 9.50 ERA, lasting a total of only 18 innings.

        “It's not like I'm missing by a little bit. I'm missing by a lot,” Mlicki said. “That concerns me. It's either really good or really bad.”

        Notes: The Reds matched their season high by stealing six bases, four off Mlicki. Houston hadn't allowed six steals in a game all season. ... Kearns hit eight homers in his first 46 games, then went 50 games without one. ... Griffey has been limited to 37 starts because of a torn knee tendon, a pulled hamstring and the sore thigh. ... Larkin has 399 career doubles. ... Reds 3B Aaron Boone doubled and stole two bases. Seventeen of Boone's last 20 hits have been for extra bases — nine homers, eight doubles.

Team and city are staring at a Big Red-Ink Machine Walkout Aug. 30 as talks stumble Young Reds optimistic labor talks will succeed Fans have no sympathy for players, owners Lawmakers unlikely to go to bat for game Strike would end Cinergy's life early Reds 9, Astros 3 Reds Box, Runs Larson's promising season may be ended by broken toe Moehler starting to feel comfortable in Cincinnati Phillies 4, Cardinals 0 Rolen welcomed, Philadelphia style Late games Notes from Friday's games Louisville 7, Toledo 3

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