CINCINNATI -Sean Casey drove in three runs with a pair of doubles, and the Cincinnati Reds' besieged bullpen ended a long stretch of miserable performances by preserving a 5-1 victory yesterday over the San Diego Padres.
Casey doubled home a run in the fifth and drove in two more in the seventh off reliever Dennys Reyes, spotting the bullpen a 5-1 lead -the same margin it blew a night earlier. A relief corps that had blown its last four save chances held on.
Reds starter Brandon Claussen left in the fourth inning after taking a line drive off his pitching arm. The left-hander also twisted his left ankle as he fell, and walked with a limp as he left the field and entrusted a 2-0 lead to his relievers.
Danny Graves got booed when he came on for the ninth inning, a reminder that he had blown two big ninth-inning leads and lashed out at fans in the last eight days. This time, the closer got it done, finishing off the Reds' second win in their last 12 games.
San Diego got 12 hits but repeatedly wasted scoring opportunities, setting up the Padres' second loss in nine games.
Brian Lawrence (2-4) gave up three runs and six hits in six innings. Austin Kearns had an RBI single in the second and Javier Valentin followed with a sacrifice fly. Casey's double made it 3-0 in the fifth.
Ken Griffey Jr. went 0-for-4, ending his 13-game hitting streak. The center fielder also made the game's most pivotal play, throwing out a runner at third base in the sixth as the Padres tried to rally.
Reds manager Dave Miley tried to shake up the lineup by batting shortstop Rich Aurilia in the second spot. Aurilia, in a 4-for-32 slump, grounded into a double play in the first inning and pulled his left hamstring while running out his grounder in the second, forcing him from the game.
So much for that strategy.
Things got grimmer in the fourth, when Ramon Hernandez hit a liner that deflected off the upper back part of Claussen's pitching arm. Claussen twisted his left ankle as he fell awkwardly on his back, and left the game to get X-rays that found no fracture.
The injury put more stress on a bullpen that has repeatedly cracked during a 2-6 homestand. The Padres scored four times in the ninth inning off Ryan Wagner and Graves to tie the series opener and set up a 6-5, 13-inning win Monday night.
Right-hander Todd Coffey (1-0) took over for Claussen and got the victory in his fourth big league appearance. Damian Jackson led off the sixth with his first homer off Coffey, cutting it to 3-1. Coffey then got a huge assist from his center fielder.
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