By Kevin Kelly
The Cincinnati Enquirer

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - For the first time in weeks Ryan Dempster looked right.

PHOTO GALLERY

Thursday's game

The Reds right-hander, an innings-eater acquired during the stretch run last season, was cruising through the Devil Rays batting order Thursday when a 6-foot-6, 240-pound body innocently brushed by him on an infield popup in the sixth inning.

Dempster kneeled on the ground, winced in pain and favored his tingling right arm.

But he got up and came out the next inning looking like nothing had happened.

A sparkling 7 1/3-inning performance by Dempster, timely offense by Austin Kearns and another dose of quality relief pitching led to a 2-1 win against the Devil Rays before 10,379 fans at Tropicana Field.

"To go out there and do that, that's what it's all about," said Dempster, who allowed one unearned run on four hits and struck out five. "It's about making the pitches and executing them."

The victory completed a three-game sweep against sputtering Tampa Bay.

It also was Dempster's first win since coming off the disabled list with an inflamed nerve in his neck on June 7 and second this season.

The Reds are now a game above .500 with a seven-game homestand against Philadelphia and Chicago beginning today.

"It's real exciting to see Dempster pitch the way he did," manager Bob Boone said. "We've been waiting for that a long time. ... That's the way I expect him to pitch just about all the time."

Kearns scored the Reds' only runs Thursday.

The right fielder stole home plate on a double steal in the second.

"As soon as it looked like (the catcher) was going to second," Kearns said, "I took off."

He later put the Reds ahead 2-1 with a solo homer in the sixth. Kearns batted .455 with two homers and 3 RBI in the series.

The Devil Rays, meanwhile, looked baffled against Dempster and scored their only run on a busted play in the second.

Dempster retired the side in the first, third, fourth and fifth innings.

But when Reds first baseman Adam Dunn brushed by him in pursuit of a popup to third base in the sixth, Dempster's status for the rest of the game appeared in jeopardy.

"I was just looking up at the ball," Dunn said. "I didn't see Ryan. It was one of those freak things."

Added Dempster: "It kind of hyper-extended my arm, caught my funny bone and gave me that little bit of pain and tingling. ... We all laughed about it afterward."

Dempster came back and pitched a scoreless seventh, but was taken out after allowing a walk and a double (the Rays' first extra-base hit of the game) in the eighth.

Left-handed reliever Gabe White came on and recorded the final two outs of the inning and closer Scott Williamson picked up his third save in as many days.

"I owe Gabe a case of beer or something," Dempster said. "He's been saving my (butt) all year."

Having a healthy and effective Dempster can only help the Reds.

Aside from Danny Graves and Paul Wilson, the starting rotation has struggled this season.

Reds starters entered with a 2-11 record and 7.28 ERA in the 24 games since Graves tossed a four-hitter against the Cardinals May 14.

"We got ourselves over the .500 mark and we've just got to keep going," Williamson said. "We have a tough homestand coming up and I think we're ready to play."

Reds 2, Devil Rays 1

Cincinnati	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg.
Dunn 1b	5	0	0	0	0	1	.199
JGuillen lf	3	0	0	0	1	0	.333
Griffey Jr. cf	4	0	0	0	0	2	.263
Kearns rf	3	2	2	1	1	0	.288
ABoone 3b	4	0	2	0	0	0	.272
Branyan dh	2	0	0	0	2	0	.176
LaRue c	4	0	0	0	0	2	.248
FLopez ss	2	0	1	0	2	1	.210
JCastro 2b	3	0	1	0	0	0	.267
Totals	30	2	6	1	6	6

Tampa Bay	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg.
Tyner rf	4	0	1	0	0	1	.378
Crawford lf	4	0	1	0	0	2	.259
Baldelli cf	2	0	0	0	1	0	.329
Huff 1b	4	0	0	0	0	0	.298
Hall c	4	1	0	0	0	0	.277
AMartin dh	3	0	1	0	1	1	.273
Liefer 3b	3	0	1	1	0	2	.083
a-TLee ph	1	0	0	0	0	0	.258
Lugo ss	3	0	0	0	0	0	.238
MAnderson 2b	2	0	0	0	1	0	.244
Totals	30	1	4	1	3	6

Cincinnati	010	001	000	-2	6	2
Tampa Bay	010	000	000	-1	4	0

a-flied out for Liefer in the 9th.

E-FLopez (16), Dempster (3). LOB-Cincinnati 8, Tampa Bay 6. 2B-Tyner (5), AMartin (7). HR-Kearns (15), off JeGonzalez. RBIs-Kearns (55), Liefer (1). SB-Kearns (4), ABoone (10). CS-JGuillen (2), Baldelli (4). S-JCastro. GIDP-Lugo.

Runners left in scoring position-Cincinnati 3 (JGuillen, LaRue, JCastro); Tampa Bay 2 (Huff 2).

Runners moved up-Branyan.

DP-Cincinnati 1 (Dempster and ABoone).

Cincinnati	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
Dempster W, 2-4	7 1/3	4	1	0	2	5	87	7.06
GWhite H, 5	2/3	0	0	0	1	0	15	2.30
Williamson S, 16	1	0	0	0	0	1	12	3.00

Tampa Bay	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
JeGonzalez L, 2-2	7	5	2	2	5	4	119	3.25
LCarter	2	1	0	0	1	2	24	2.88

Inherited runners-scored-GWhite 2-0.

IBB-off GWhite (Baldelli) 1. HBP-by Dempster (Baldelli).

T-2:33. A-10,379 (43,772).