By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Photos from today's game

Austin Kearns says he doesn't feel quite like himself yet.

But a reasonable facsimile was more than good enough for the Reds Monday night.

Just ask the Houston Astros.

Kearns' three-run home run in the eighth inning lifted the Reds to a 7-5 victory and a four-game sweep of the Astros before a crowd of 28,008, including 6,020 walk-ups, at Great American Ball Park.

They were chanting "Sweep! Sweep! Sweep!" shortly after Kearns' shot hit the seats in left.

"It's been tough," Kearns said. "To get a big hit in a big series makes it meaningful."

"To have him back and swinging the way he is is a big boost for us," Sean Casey said.

The Reds came back in the eighth after blowing a three-run lead in the seventh.

"It's somebody different every day," Barry Larkin said. "The big four - Junior (Griffey), Casey, (Adam) Dunn and Kearns - have been getting it done. That makes it easier for everyone else."

Larkin had a big hand in this one as well. He led off the eighth with a triple, just getting in under third baseman Morgan Ensberg's tag with a hard slide. The Astros walked Casey intentionally for the second time in the series to get to Griffey. Griffey grounded out to first, advancing Casey, but Larkin had to hold at third.

That brought up Kearns.

"That's what you play for," Kearns said. "You want to come up late in the game with runners on."

Not necessarily against Houston right-hander Brad Lidge.

"He's one of the best in the game," Kearns said.

Kearns took a strike and then crushed a 96 mph fastball.

"It got more of the plate than he wanted," Kearns said.

"He put a charge in that one," Reds manager Dave Miley said. "It's great for him. He's been through a lot."

Kearns had shoulder surgery last season. He started this season hitting .137, then broke a bone in his forearm and spent three weeks on the disabled list. But, in his last five games, Kearns is 8-for-16, with a homer and eight RBI.

"I'm getting there," he said. "It doesn't happen overnight. It's a process."

Kearns was smeared with shaving cream, thanks to an attack by Todd Jones.

"I saw him coming," Kearns said. "That should be it. But he ran me down. That's kind of embarrassing getting run down by Todd Jones."

Yes, the good times are rolling in the Reds clubhouse.

They had not swept the Astros in four games in Cincinnati since June 1978. The victory put the Reds a half-game ahead of the Chicago Cubs and alone in first place in the National League Central. The Reds have won six in a row and nine of 10. They are eight games over .500 for the first time since June 18, 2002.

"To sweep them is huge," said Danny Graves, who earned - emphasis on earned - his 21st save Monday. "A lot of people think Houston is the best team in the Central. It shows we can play with anyone."

Another fine performance merely earned a no decision for Jose Acevedo. Acevedo allowed two runs in six innings and left with a 4-2 lead. But he was a victim of a blown save for the third time this year and second in as many starts.

"We got the win," Acevedo said. "We're in first place. It's OK."

John Riedling gave up the lead on Lance Berkman's two-out, two-run homer in the seventh. The runs were the first earned runs Riedling had given up since April 16.

Riedling (3-0) pitched the eighth and got the win. Graves pitched the ninth for his 21st save.

Griffey gave the Reds a 1-0 lead in the second with a shot off the batter's eye in left-center field - a shot of 431 feet. It was Griffey's 10th of the year and second in two days. It was Griffey's 491st career homer, tying him with Fred McGriff for 21st on the all-time list.

Casey made it 2-0 in the fourth. He hit one that hugged the right-field line and ended up in the Houston bullpen for his sixth of the year and second in two days.

The Astros scored on Berkman's RBI single in the fifth. The run ended a 13-inning scoreless streak for the Reds' pitchers.

Larkin and Casey started the sixth with back-to-back singles. Griffey doubled them in with a shot off the left-field wall.

Acevedo was done after pinch-hitter Orlando Palmeiro led off the seventh with a homer.

The Reds brought in Riedling, their version of Mr. Automatic. Riedling got the first two outs of the inning routinely.

He then walked Jeff Bagwell. Riedling fell behind Berkman 2-0. Berkman then hit a bolt the opposite way to left for his 10th home run, and it was tied at 4.

Graves made it interesting.

"Don't I always?" he said.

Jason Lane led off the ninth with a single. An out later, pinch-hitter Jeff Kent doubled. Lane scored on Jason LaRue's passed ball. Bagwell lined softly to third. That brought up Berkman, 3-for-4 with the homer. He grounded out to end it.

"The bottom line is we had more runs than them," Graves said. "I don't care if it's ugly or pretty as long as we win."

Houston	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg.
Biggio cf	5	0	2	0	0	0	.313
AEverett ss	4	0	1	0	0	0	.270
d-JKent ph	1	0	1	0	0	0	.304
Bagwell 1b	4	1	1	0	1	1	.297
Berkman lf	5	1	3	3	0	0	.347
Ensberg 3b	4	0	0	0	0	2	.281
JVizcaino 2b	4	0	1	0	0	0	.204
Hidalgo rf	4	0	0	0	0	1	.269
Ausmus c	4	0	0	0	0	1	.259
Redding p	2	1	1	0	0	0	.214
Gallo p	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
a-OPalmeiro ph	1	1	1	1	0	0	.194
DMiceli p	0	0	0	0	0	0	.500
Lidge p	0	0	0	0	0	0	---
Stone p	0	0	0	0	0	0	---
c-Lane ph	1	1	1	0	0	0	.259
Totals	39	5	12	4	1	5

Cincinnati	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg.
Freel 3b	4	0	0	0	0	1	.252
Larkin ss	4	2	2	0	0	0	.292
Casey 1b	3	3	2	1	1	1	.386
Griffey Jr. cf	3	1	2	3	1	0	.245
Kearns rf	4	1	2	3	0	1	.208
Dunn lf	3	0	0	0	1	1	.279
DJimenez 2b	2	0	0	0	1	0	.221
Riedling p	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
b-JaCruz ph	1	0	1	0	0	0	.273
Graves p	0	0	0	0	0	0	---
LaRue c	4	0	1	0	0	1	.210
JoAcevedo p	2	0	0	0	0	0	.125
JCastro 2b	2	0	0	0	0	1	.270
Totals	32	7	10	7	4	6

Houston	000	010	301	-5	12	0
Cincinnati	010	102	03x	-7	10	2

a-homered for Gallo in the 7th. b-singled for Riedling in the 8th. c-singled for Stone in the 9th. d-doubled for Everett in the 9th.

E-Freel (5), Larkin (1). LOB-Houston 8, Cincinnati 5. 2B-JKent (14), Griffey Jr. (12). 3B-Larkin (2). HR-Kearns (3), off Lidge; Berkman (10), off Riedling; OPalmeiro (2), off JoAcevedo; Casey (6), off Redding; Griffey Jr. (10), off Redding. RBIs-Berkman 3 (35), OPalmeiro (6), Casey (31), Griffey Jr. 3 (34), Kearns 3 (13). GIDP-Ausmus, Kearns, DJimenez.

Runners left in scoring position-Houston 4 (Berkman, Ensberg 2, Ausmus); Cincinnati 1 (JCastro).

Runners moved up-Bagwell, Griffey Jr..

DP-Houston 2 (Ensberg, JVizcaino and Bagwell), (Ensberg, JVizcaino and Bagwell); Cincinnati 1 (Freel, DJimenez and Casey).

Houston	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
Redding	5 1/3	6	4	4	2	3	79	5.49
Gallo	2/3	0	0	0	1	0	6	0.87
DMiceli	1	0	0	0	0	2	8	2.89
Lidge L, 0-3	2/3	3	3	3	1	1	19	3.81
Stone	1/3	1	0	0	0	0	5	7.11

Cincinnati	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
JoAcevedo	6	9	2	2	0	4	89	4.53
Riedling W, 3-0 BS, 1	2	1	2	2	1	1	23	1.13
Graves S, 21	1	2	1	0	0	0	26	3.00

JoAcevedo pitched to 1 batter in the 7th.

Inherited runners-scored-Gallo 1-0, Stone 1-0.

IBB-off Lidge (Casey) 1. PB-LaRue.

T-2:49. A-28,008 (42,271).