Cincinnati – Rich Aurilia’s pinch-hit, bases-loaded single in the bottom of the eighth inning rallied the Cincinnati Reds to a 6-4 victory Sunday and a four-game sweep of the fading Colorado Rockies.
Aurilia’s two-run single off Jose Mesa (0-3) sparked the Reds’ second straight late comeback against Colorado’s rickety bullpen, the Rockies’ main problem during their recent slide.
They have lost a season-high seven straight, their deepest slump since they dropped 10 in a row last season. The Rockies were a half-game out in the NL West before the skid, which has sent them to last place.
Colorado hadn’t been swept in a four-game series in Cincinnati since 1993. The Rockies are 2-11 in four seasons at Great American Ball Park, where they’ve lost nine in a row.
The Rockies also matched their season low point at three games under .500 (44-47), a bad sign for a team with playoff aspirations.
Right-hander Josh Fogg limited the Reds to five hits and one run in seven innings on a 91-degree afternoon, only to see another solid start ruined by a bullpen that has been highly undependable for the last month.
Adam Dunn started the comeback by hitting Tom Martin’s first pitch for his 30th homer in the eighth inning, cutting it to 3-2.
Aurilia’s two-out single off Mesa gave the Reds their first lead, and Royce Clayton followed with a two-run double.
Todd Coffey (4-4) pitched the eighth to get the win. New closer Eddie Guardado gave up Clint Barmes’ solo homer in the ninth while getting his third save in the series. The Reds got Guardado from Seattle 10 days ago, starting the overhaul of their balky bullpen.
They also obtained a pair of relievers as part of an eight-player deal with Washington before the series opener.
The Reds inducted pitchers Tom Seaver and Tom Browning and first baseman Lee May into their Hall of Fame, honoring them on the field before the game. Seaver threw a ceremonial first pitch to Johnny Bench, who was his catcher in Cincinnati.
Then, the 27,043 fans settled in to watch a couple of up-and-down teams scuffling to stay in playoff contention at midseason.
Unlike the Reds, who have made high-profile moves to bolster their main weakness, the Rockies have stayed the course and followed their recent format. The starting pitching has been exemplary, but the offense and the bullpen have been undependable, setting up a lot of close losses.
Six batters were hit by pitches during the series, and plate umpire Tony Randazzo warned both benches after Edwin Encarnacion was plunked by Fogg’s first pitch leading off the second inning.
There were no further incidents.
