By John Fay
Enquirer staff writer

PHOTO GALLERY

Photo gallery from game.

It was a long, strange day for the Reds.

They played 16 1/2 innings of baseball, broke an eight-game losing streak, started another one and endured their fourth rain delay in two days.

"It feels like we've been here a long time," Reds manager Dave Miley said.

It was roughly 7 1/2 hours from the resumption of Friday's suspended game to the end of Saturday's regularly scheduled game.

The Reds won the first game 3-2 in 13 innings on Jason LaRue's RBI double.

The Reds lost the second game 8-0. The Astros blew open a close game with six runs off Gabe White in the ninth.

On the trade front, the Reds stood pat as the non-waiver deadline passed. The only deal they made was Friday night, when they sent reliever Todd Jones to Philadelphia for two young players, one of whom played a prominent role Saturday.

When you go eight games without winning, a split would feel pretty good - if only you weren't so numb.

"The first game seems like eons ago," Miley said.

The victory in the first game was a tribute to good relief pitching.

The game was stopped at 10:42 p.m. Friday after a third rain delay. It resumed 12 hours and 45 minutes later at 11:31 a.m. Saturday.

When things picked up Saturday, the Astros had runners at first and second and two outs. Aaron Harang, who started Friday, was pulled after Jeff Bagwell's RBI single tied it before the last delay.

Reliever Ryan Wagner got Morgan Ensberg to ground out to end the sixth inning.

You could hear the crack of the bat all the way up in the upper deck on the play.

That's because the game started with virtually no one in the stands. You needed a ticket for Saturday's game to get in. Most of the 36,415 that bought tickets for Saturday showed up around the 1:25 p.m., the original start time.

"It was like a B game in spring training," LaRue said.

Both bullpens ruled. The Reds, in fact, had only one hit from the sixth to the 12th.

The first game was delayed by rain in the 11th inning for 69 minutes. Total delays: three hours, two minutes.

It looked like it would go to the 14th when Chad Harville retired the first two Reds in the 13th.

But Wily Mo Pena worked a walk. LaRue stroked one that got through the left-center gap. Pena scored easily for the game-winner.

"With the win, it was worth all we went through," Miley said.

The winning pitcher was Josh Hancock, the sixth reliever of the game. Hancock wasn't even on the Reds' roster when the game started. He was traded from Philadelphia after Friday's game started.

"This is one I won't forget," he said.

Game 2

Saturday's regularly scheduled game was very forgettable for the Reds.

The Astros were forced to start Darren Oliver because they didn't want to push Andy Pettitte, who has a sore elbow.

The Reds got just one hit over five innings against Oliver, who came in with a 5.94 ERA.

Reds left-hander Brandon Claussen kept the Reds in it, despite the lack of offense.

Claussen gave up an unearned run in the fourth but nearly got out of the bases-loaded, no-outs jam unscathed.

Ryan Freel called off second baseman D'Angelo Jimenez on a popup to short right. Freel caught it off balance, allowing Carlos Beltran to tag and score from third.

"The thing about (Claussen) is he keeps his composure," Miley said. "He should have gotten out of that with no runs."

The Astros added a run in the sixth. The innings were similar for Claussen: He'd get ahead of hitters, but the Astros' patience paid off.

"They don't make it easy on you," Claussen said. "Their (Nos.) 3, 4, 5 hitters battled."

The Reds' big chance came in the seventh. Sean Casey walked, Adam Dunn singled and Pena was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs.

"It's a 2-0 game," Miley said. "You've got to get at least one in. That's something we've struggled with."

But the Reds popped out twice and flied out, stranding all three baserunners.

White got beat up in the ninth. He gave up a two-run homer to Beltran and a three-run homer to Mike Lamb.

"Gabe was the freshest guy down there," Miley said. "It didn't work out for him."