Harang's 6-hitter sends Cards to 7th straight loss

[September 18, 2008]  CINCINNATI (AP) -- Aaron Harang pitched a six-hitter and the Cincinnati Reds hit back-to-back homers to beat St. Louis 3-0 and send the Cardinals to their seventh straight loss Wednesday night.

Andy Phillips and Jay Bruce opened the fourth inning with consecutive home runs and Paul Janish added the first of his career later in the inning to help Harang to his first win since Aug. 22, snapping a personal losing streak that had left him 0-3 with a 3.00 ERA in his previous four starts.

Harang's threw 111 pitches -- 79 strikes -- in his first shutout since beating Pittsburgh 4-0 on Aug. 29, 2007.

The Reds have won four straight and seven of their last nine games.

The Cardinals were shutout for the fifth time this season while extending their longest losing streak since they lost nine straight last September.

Albert Pujols went 0-for-4 and is hitless in his last eight at-bats since a 10-game hitting streak.

St. Louis starter Todd Wellemeyer (12-8) didn't allow a hit until Phillips led off the fourth inning with a home run to center, his second homer of the season. Bruce followed with another homer to center, his 19th this year. Janish connected two outs later.

That was enough for Harang (5-16), who allowed singles to the first two batters he faced and scattered four hits the rest of the way. He didn't walk anybody and had four strikeouts for his fifth career shutout.

The slumping Wellemeyer is 1-4 in his last five starts and has given up all three sets of back-to-back home runs allowed by St. Louis this season. The right-hander allowed just one other hit besides the home runs -- Harang's fourth-inning single. Wellemeyer walked tow and struck out six.

Notes: 3B Edwin Encarnacion was scratched from Cincinnati's original starting lineup with a sore wrist. Phillips replaced Encarnacion at third base and in the cleanup slot. ... St. Louis' Brendan Ryan start in right field was the first of his career.

[Associated Press]

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