By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer

PHOTO GALLERY

Photos of Friday's game

HOUSTON - Seth Etherton waited a long time for this one. Etherton got his first victory as a Red by going six strong innings in the Reds' 4-3 victory over the Houston Astros before a crowd of 26,627 at Minute Maid Park Friday.

Etherton has spent nearly all of his tenure with the Reds rehabbing from a shoulder injury. "It's my first win in three years," he said. "That's significant."

Give Ryan Wagner, the rookie from nearby Yoakum, Texas, a huge assist. Wagner worked his way out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the eighth to preserve a one-run lead.

Ryan Freel, who hit his first career home run off Randy Johnson Wednesday, hit his second off Billy Wagner Friday in the eighth to increase the lead to two. Both Freel's homers have come on 97 mph fastballs.

The victory was tempered by Barry Larkin leaving the game after injuring the ring finger on his left hand while swinging at a pitch. Larkin was sent back to Cincinnati to be examined. He'll probably be placed on the disabled list.

"That's the way it's gone with us," Reds manager Dave Miley said. "But with all that's transpired, the guys have battled, and we're playing some good teams."

It was Etherton's second start as a Red. He lost to Houston 5-2 a week ago in Cincinnati. He pitched well in that one until Lance Berkman's three-run homer with two outs in the fifth.

Friday, Etherton allowed two runs on five hits. He walked two and struck out four. "I just tried to mix it up, keep them off balance," Etherton said. "That's a good hitting team over there."

Ryan Wagner pitched the seventh and eighth. "This is like a dream come true," Wagner said. "I've been following the Astros since I was a little kid. I went to college a mile away from here. It's fun now. It wasn't too much fun when I was out there."

Chris Reitsma gave up a run in the ninth but stranded the tying run at second for his fourth save.

The Reds, who lost 10 straight to the Astros in one stretch this season, have taken three of the last four from Houston.

The Reds scored a run in the first on Sean Casey's sacrifice fly.

But the Astros scored a run in the third and another in the fifth.

The 2-1 lead looked like it would be enough for Houston starter Wade Miller, who was 6-0 with a 3.67 ERA lifetime against the Reds, and had already beaten the Reds twice this year.

But Casey led off the seventh with a single. Ruben Mateo followed with a double.

Dernell Stenson got Casey home with a groundout to first. Juan Castro hit a flyball to medium right, but Richard Hidalgo's throw barely made it to cutoff man Jeff Bagwell. Bagwell is playing with a bad arm. It showed, as his throw was weak and up the line. Mateo scored to give the Reds a 3-2 lead.

"That's how we have to do it," Miley said.

Cincinnati	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg.
Taylor cf	4	0	0	0	0	0	.213
Larkin ss	2	1	1	0	0	1	.282
Olmedo ss	2	0	1	0	0	1	.285
DJimenez 2b	4	0	2	0	0	1	.302
Casey 1b	3	1	1	1	0	1	.292
RMateo rf	4	1	1	0	0	0	.247
Stenson lf	3	0	0	1	0	0	.316
Freel ph-lf	1	1	1	1	0	0	.294
JCastro 3b	3	0	0	1	0	3	.250
CMiller c	3	0	0	0	0	1	.000
RWagner p	0	0	0	0	0	0	---
Stinnett ph	1	0	0	0	0	0	.243
Reitsma p	0	0	0	0	0	0	.125
Etherton p	2	0	1	0	0	0	.500
LaRue c	1	0	0	0	0	0	.232
Totals	33	4	8	4	0	8

Houston	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg.
Biggio cf	5	1	4	1	0	0	.259
Berkman lf	5	1	1	1	0	2	.284
Bagwell 1b	5	0	1	0	0	2	.275
JKent 2b	5	0	1	1	0	0	.293
Blum 3b	4	0	1	0	0	1	.262
Lane pr-rf	1	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Hidalgo rf	2	0	0	0	2	0	.301
RChavez c	0	0	0	0	0	0	1.000
Ausmus c	2	0	0	0	1	0	.222
Merced ph	1	0	0	0	0	1	.234
BWagner p	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
AEverett ss	4	1	1	0	0	0	.238
WMiller p	1	0	0	0	0	0	.143
JVizcaino ph	1	0	0	0	0	0	.241
Dotel p	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Ensberg 3b	1	0	0	0	0	0	.288
Totals	37	3	9	3	3	6

Cincinnati	100	000	201	-4	8	2
Houston	001	010	001	-3	9	0

E-Olmedo (10), JCastro (5). LOB-Cincinnati 4, Houston 11. 2B-RMateo (5), Biggio 2 (36), Berkman (25), AEverett (14). HR-Freel (2), off BWagner. RBI-Casey (65), Stenson (2), Freel (4), JCastro (28), Biggio (45), Berkman (76), JKent (71). SB-DJimenez (4), Ausmus (4). S-WMiller. SF-Casey, JCastro.

Cincinnati	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
Etherton W, 1-1	6	5	2	2	2	4	89	5.73
RWagner H, 5	2	1	0	0	1	2	37	2.12
Reitsma S, 4	1	3	1	1	0	0	17	3.93

Houston	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
WMiller L, 10-11	7	5	3	3	0	7	106	4.40
Dotel	1	2	0	0	0	0	17	2.82
BWagner	1	1	1	1	0	1	17	1.85

T-2:43. A-26,627 (40,950).

How the runs scored in Friday's game between the Reds and the Astros

Reds first. Taylor flied out to left fielder Berkman. Larkin singled to left. Jimenez singled to center, Larkin to third. Casey hit a sacrifice fly to right fielder Hidalgo, Larkin scored. Jimenez stole second. Mateo popped out to second baseman Kent. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on. Reds 1, Astros 0.

Astros third. Miller flied out to right fielder Mateo. Biggio doubled to left. Berkman doubled to right, Biggio scored. Bagwell struck out. Kent lined out to third baseman Castro. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on. Reds 1, Astros 1.

Astros fifth. Everett doubled to left. Miller sacrificed, catcher Miller to second baseman Jimenez, Everett to third. Biggio doubled to left, Everett scored. Berkman grounded out, first baseman Casey unassisted, Biggio to third. Bagwell grounded out, shortstop Olmedo to first baseman Casey. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on. Astros 2, Reds 1.

Reds seventh. Casey infield single to first. Mateo doubled to left, Casey to third. Stenson grounded out, first baseman Bagwell to pitcher Miller, Casey scored, Mateo to third. Castro hit a sacrifice fly to right fielder Hidalgo, Mateo scored. Miller struck out. 2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 0 left on. Reds 3, Astros 2.

Reds ninth. Lane in as right fielder. Chavez in as catcher. Wagner pitching. Ensberg in as third baseman. Mateo popped out to first baseman Bagwell. Freel pinch-hitting for Stenson. Freel homered to left on the first pitch. Castro struck out. Stinnett pinch-hitting for Wagner. Stinnett popped out to first baseman Bagwell. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 left on. Reds 4, Astros 2.

Astros ninth. Freel in as left fielder. Reitsma pitching. Ensberg flied out to right fielder Mateo. Biggio infield single to short. Berkman grounded into fielder's choice, pitcher Reitsma to shortstop Olmedo, Biggio out. Bagwell singled to center, Berkman to second. Kent singled to left, Berkman scored, Bagwell to second. Lane flied out to left fielder Freel. 1 run, 3 hits, 0 errors, 2 left on. Reds 4, Astros 3.