By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer

HOUSTON - Javier Valentin probably qualifies as the Red least likely to be recognized on Fountain Square. That may change after Monday night.

For one, the smile will give him away.

"I'm so happy," Valentin said. "Wow. I feel like Reggie Jackson."

Javier Valentin heads around the bases after a go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning. (AP photo)

He should. Valentin's two-out, two-run home run in the eighth inning lifted the Reds to a 7-5 victory over the Houston Astros before a crowd of 30,657 at Minute Maid Park.

The victory snapped a five-game losing streak and ended a bad road trip on a high note.

"This is a confidence booster for us," Sean Casey said. "We've had a tough couple of days. It's early. But we had to have this one."

It didn't look like they'd get it. The Reds blew 2-0 and 4-2 leads and were down 5-4 going to the eighth. With the way the Astros bullpen has been throwing, a four-game sweep seemed inevitable.

But Jacob Cruz worked a walk off Houston setup man Brad Lidge.

Lidge started Valentin with two sliders. He took a ball and a strike. Lidge came back with a fastball.

"I was trying to make good contact," Valentin said. "I'm hacking in that situation. I made good contact."

The ball ended up in the Astros bullpen for Valentin's first home run as a Red and his first game-winning home run as major leaguer.

"I'm just so happy," he said. "I feel like part of the team."

D'Angelo Jimenez made it 7-5 with a home run to lead off the ninth.

Valentin, a 28-year-old switch-hitter, signed with the Reds as a minor league free agent. He made the club as the third catcher. He moved into the No. 2 spot two weeks ago. He'll be the No. 1 guy until Jason LaRue returns from the disabled list.

Valentin flied out with Cruz at second and one out in the sixth.

"I didn't do my job there," he said. "I said, 'I hope I get another chance.'"

The bullpen, so shaky on the road trip, nailed down the win. Todd Jones, Sunday's loser, pitched a 1-2-3 eighth.

Danny Graves, pitching for the first time in six days, worked the ninth for his 11th save. He hit the first batter he faced, then gave up loud, long outs to Jeff Bagwell, Jeff Kent and Lance Berkman.

The victory allowed the Reds to come home from the season's longest road trip above .500 at 13-12. They were 4-6 on the trip.

"It's been a long trip," Reds manager Dave Miley said. "This makes get-away day a lot better. It's been a tough streak. It's nice to break it."

The injury bug continued to haunt the Reds. Ken Griffey Jr. left the game in the third inning with a stiff right hamstring. He is listed as day-to-day. The Reds were already playing without Ryan Freel, who injured his neck Sunday.

Houston started Roy Oswalt, who entered the game with an 8-0 career record against the Reds.

Barry Larkin (11) crosses the plate as Astros catcher Raul Chavez waits for the ball after a two-run double by Sean Casey in the first inning. (AP photo)

But Jimenez led off the game with a walk. Barry Larkin followed with a single. An out later, Casey, hitting .478 with runners in the scoring position, came through with a double into the right-center field gap. Jimenez and Larkin scored to make it 2-0.

But the Reds were well ahead of their usual offensive pace against Oswalt. Consider: They had scored one or no runs in the eight of the 11 games Oswalt started against them.

Oswalt helped himself with an RBI single in the second.

The Reds gave the Astros a run in the fourth. Mike Lamb led off with a single. Raul Chavez bunted him to second. Oswalt hit a slow roller to third baseman Brandon Larson. As Larson threw to first, Lamb broke for third. Casey's throw was off line. Lamb scored when it got past Larkin, who was covering third.

The Reds took the lead back in the sixth. Dunn walked with one out. Larson reached on an error.

Cruz, the right fielder du jour, stung one the opposite way. It went to the wall in left-center for a two-run double.

The lead didn't last the inning. Reds starter Paul Wilson walked Berkman and Lamb. Wilson then gave up a gap shot to Chavez. Both runners scored to make it 4-4.

Wilson struck out pinch-hitter Orlando Palmeiro for the second out. Craig Biggio followed with a shot off the left-field wall for a double.

That ended Wilson's night.

John Riedling came in and got the final out of the inning. He pitched the seventh as well, keeping it within reach for Valentin.

"He's got occasional pop," Miley said. "It came at a good time for us."

Cincinnati	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg.
DJimenez 2b	4	2	2	1	1	0	.232
Larkin ss	4	1	1	0	1	0	.276
Griffey Jr. cf	2	0	0	0	0	1	.228
Romano cf	2	0	0	0	1	2	.091
Casey 1b	5	0	2	2	0	0	.400
Dunn lf	3	1	0	0	2	2	.301
Larson 3b	4	1	0	0	0	2	.318
JCastro 3b	0	0	0	0	0	0	.238
JaCruz rf	3	1	2	2	1	1	.375
TJones p	0	0	0	0	0	0	---
Graves p	0	0	0	0	0	0	---
Valentin c	4	1	2	2	0	0	.167
PWilson p	3	0	0	0	0	3	.154
Riedling p	0	0	0	0	0	0	---
b-WPena ph-rf	1	0	0	0	0	1	.242
Totals	35	7	9	7	6	12

Houston	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg.
Biggio cf	5	0	1	1	0	1	.340
AEverett ss	4	0	1	0	0	1	.296
Bagwell 1b	5	0	2	0	0	2	.348
JKent 2b	5	0	1	0	0	0	.280
Berkman lf	3	1	0	0	2	1	.282
Hidalgo rf	4	1	1	0	0	1	.351
Lamb 3b	3	2	2	0	1	0	.395
RChavez c	3	1	1	2	0	1	.250
Oswalt p	2	0	1	1	0	0	.231
a-OPalmeiro ph	1	0	0	0	0	1	.217
Harville p	0	0	0	0	0	0	---
Lidge p	0	0	0	0	0	0	---
c-JVizcaino ph	1	0	0	0	0	0	.129
Dotel p	0	0	0	0	0	0	---
Totals	36	5	10	4	3	8

Cincinnati	200	002	021	-7	9	1
Houston	010	103	000	-5	10	1

a-struck out for Oswalt in the 6th. b-struck out for Riedling in the 8th. c-flied out for Lidge in the 8th.

E-Casey (1), Lamb (3). LOB-Cincinnati 7, Houston 9. 2B-Casey (12), JaCruz (1), Valentin (2), Biggio (11), Bagwell (8), Hidalgo (10), RChavez (2). HR-DJimenez (3), off Dotel; Valentin (1), off Lidge. RBIs-DJimenez (12), Casey 2 (20), JaCruz 2 (2), Valentin 2 (4), Biggio (18), RChavez 2 (3), Oswalt (1). S-RChavez. GIDP-Larkin.

Runners left in scoring position-Cincinnati 4 (JaCruz, PWilson 3); Houston 7 (Biggio, AEverett, JKent, Hidalgo 2, Lamb 2).

Runners moved up-Oswalt.

DP-Houston 2 (AEverett and Bagwell), (AEverett and Bagwell).

Cincinnati	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
PWilson	5 2/3	8	5	4	3	5	98	4.79
Riedling W, 1-0	1 1/3	2	0	0	0	2	22	0.75
TJones H, 9	1	0	0	0	0	1	16	5.87
Graves S, 11	1	0	0	0	0	0	13	3.55

Houston	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
Oswalt	6	6	4	3	4	7	101	2.76
Harville H, 1	2/3	0	0	0	1	0	17	4.26
Lidge L, 0-1	BS, 1	1	1-3	1	2	2	1	3	20	3.38
Dotel	1	2	1	1	0	2	23	2.92

Inherited runners-scored-Riedling 1-0, Lidge 1-0.

HBP-by Graves (AEverett).

Umpires-Home, Ron Kulpa; First, Bill Miller; Second, Brian Gorman; Third, Dale Scott.

T-2:52. A-30,657 (40,950).