By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer

PHOTO GALLERY

Photo gallery from game.

The Reds have a bunch of roster moves coming up. Infielder Juan Castro, outfielder Austin Kearns and pitcher Aaron Harang are all close to returning from the disabled list.

So three players will have to go. Outfielder Jermaine Clark and infielder Tim Hummel, two players on the bubble, have gone a long way toward securing spots with the major-league team.

Clark and Hummel started the eighth-inning rally that lifted the Reds to a 7-4 victory over the Texas Rangers before a sellout crowd of 39,114 (3,000 complimentary tickets were distributed) at Great American Ball Park Wednesday. The walk-up was 11,850.

They're having some fun at the ballpark these days.

As reliever Todd Jones put it two weeks ago: "We're charming them with Griffey and hooking them with the way we play."

That was certainly the case Wednesday. They crowd was there to see Ken Griffey Jr. hit No. 500. He didn't do it, but the game was terrific.

Clark and Hummel, a couple of role players, played huge roles in this one.

Clark singled with one out in the eighth inning. Hummel then walked, and Sean Casey reached on a fielder's choice.

Ryan Freel followed with a double in the gap to score two runs.

Barry Larkin then lined one up the middle to score two more.

The Reds have won two straight at home after losing seven straight on the road.

Griffey remained one shy of the 500-home run milestone, going 1-for-4 with a walk. He has gone 10 at-bats since homer No. 499.

The Reds host the series finale against Texas today, then start a six-game road trip with a game Friday in St. Louis.

The Reds did hit two home runs Wednesday - Adam Dunn and Hummel hit solo shots.

Hummel was 3-for-3 on the night, the same night third baseman Brandon Larson went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts. Clark, the newest Red, had his second big hit in as many nights and made two nice plays in right field.

Starter Paul Wilson gave the Reds his best effort on a night when he didn't have his best stuff. Wilson went six innings, allowing two runs and five hits. He walked three and struck out five.

But Wilson was the victim of a blown save for the third straight start.

The Rangers took a 1-0 lead in the first. Michael Young doubled to start the game and, an out later, Alfonso Soriano got him in with a single.

Dunn tied it up with his 19th home run of the year - a shot to right leading off the second.

The Rangers took the lead back in the third. Soriano led off with a single and stole second. Dave Dellucci snapped an 0-for-2 skid with an RBI single.

Hummel, getting his first big-league start at first base, led off the third with his first home run of the year to tie it again.

The Reds took the lead in the fifth. Hummel led off with an infield single. Wilson tried to bunt him over but was hit by a pitch. Ryan Freel put down a good sacrifice bunt and clearly beat pitcher Nick Bierbrodt's throw to first. But umpire Tim Timmons ruled Freel out.

Still, the Reds had runners at second and third with one out. Larkin got Hummel home with a sacrifice fly.

That brought up Griffey for the third time. He got two pitches to hit - he fouled back both - and four well out of the strike zone for a walk.

Dunn popped out to end the inning.

The Reds had a chance to break open the game in the sixth. Wily Mo Pena led off with his second hit of the game.

After Jason LaRue and Larson each struck out for the second straight time, Hummel put runners on first and third with his career-high third hit of the game.

Casey was brought in to pinch hit for Wilson but popped out on the first pitch.

Wilson left with a 3-2 lead. It lasted one batter; John Riedling gave up a home run to Hank Blalock in the seventh to tie it.

Texas	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg.
MYoung ss	5	2	3	1	0	0	.331
Blalock 3b	5	1	1	1	0	1	.289
ASoriano 2b	4	1	2	1	0	0	.297
Fullmer 1b	4	0	1	0	0	0	.231
Francisco p	0	0	0	0	0	0	---
BShouse p	0	0	0	0	0	0	---
Almanzar p	0	0	0	0	0	0	---
Teixeira rf-1b	2	0	0	0	2	0	.232
Dellucci lf	3	0	1	1	0	1	.281
EYoung ph-lf	1	0	0	0	0	0	.317
Huckaby c	4	0	1	0	0	1	.150
Conti cf	2	0	0	0	1	1	.000
Mench ph	1	0	0	0	0	0	.265
Bierbrodt p	2	0	0	0	0	2	.000
Mahay p	0	0	0	0	0	0	---
Matthews rf	1	0	0	0	0	0	.271
Totals	34	4	9	4	3	6

Cincinnati	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg.
Freel 2b	3	1	1	2	1	0	.246
Larkin ss	2	0	1	3	2	0	.297
Griffey Jr. cf	4	0	1	0	1	0	.262
Dunn lf	4	1	1	1	0	0	.266
Wpena rf	3	0	2	0	1	1	.284
PNorton p	0	0	0	0	0	0	---
LaRue c	4	0	0	0	0	2	.231
Larson 3b	3	0	0	0	0	3	.217
Riedling p	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
JClark rf	1	1	1	0	0	0	.286
Hummel 1b-3b	3	3	3	1	1	0	.271
PWilson p	1	0	0	0	0	1	.167
Casey ph-1b	2	1	0	0	0	0	.360
Totals	30	7	10	7	6	7

Texas	101	000	101	-4	9	0
Cincinnati	011	010	04x	-7	10	0

LOB-Texas 7, Cincinnati 8. 2B-MYoung (12), Fullmer (12), Freel (7). HR-MYoung (10), off PNorton; Blalock (15), off Riedling; Hummel (1), off Bierbrodt; Dunn (19), off Bierbrodt. RBIs-MYoung (38), Blalock (43), ASoriano (38), Dellucci (25), Freel 2 (10), Larkin 3 (27), Dunn (42), Hummel (5). SB-ASoriano (6), WPena (2). S-Bierbrodt, Freel. SF-Larkin. GIDP-Larkin, Griffey Jr., LaRue.

Texas	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
Bierbrodt	6	6	3	3	4	6	95	4.50
Mahay	2/3	1	0	0	1	0	13	3.92
Francisco L, 1-1	2/3	1	2	2	1	1	17	4.50
BShouse	0	0	1	1	0	0	5	3.00
Almanzar	2/3	2	1	1	0	0	15	3.13

Cincinnati	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
PWilson	6	7	2	2	3	5	107	3.17
Riedling BS, 4	1	1	1	1	0	0	17	4.04
PNorton W, 1-2	2	1	1	1	0	1	23	4.33

BShouse pitched to 1 batter in the 8th.

HBP-by Bierbrodt (PWilson).

Umpires-Home, Hunter Wendelstedt; First, Tim Timmons; Second, Bruce Froemming; Third, Mike Winters.

T-2:55. A-39,114 (42,271).