Reds end Astros' streak in Cincy with 3-0 win

[April 30, 2009]  CINCINNATI (AP) -- Edinson Volquez ended the longest current streak of domination in the majors by allowing only one hit through eight innings Wednesday night, leading the Cincinnati Reds to a 3-0 victory over the Houston Astros.

The Astros had won their last 11 games at Great American Ball Park since late in the 2007 season, the best such streak in franchise history. They had won 16 of 17 in Cincinnati over the last three years, getting every break and every big hit.

This time, they got neither.

Volquez (3-2), who had a career-high seven walks in a loss to Atlanta on Friday, gave up only Miguel Tejada's double in the first inning. He retired 17 straight over one stretch, walking one and hitting a batter in the longest appearance of his career.

Francisco Cordero completed the one-hitter with his seventh save in as many chances.

Laynce Nix tripled, scored a run and drove in another with an infield single off Felipe Paulino (1-3), who had trouble with the bottom of a lineup that's second-to-last in hitting in the NL. Rookie Adam Rosales had an RBI single and a sacrifice fly.

Several Reds players and coaches got drenched while helping the grounds crew wrestle the tarp into place during a 15-minute cloudburst before batting practice. Against tall odds, they wanted to keep the field dry so they could play this one.

Houston is 32-16-1 at Great American since it opened for the 2003 season, feeling very cozy in the NL's most homer-friendly ballpark. It took a dominating performance by Cincinnati's only 2008 All-Star to end the Astros' run.

The right-hander got batters to hit balls on the rain-softened ground. He induced 12 groundouts and one popup, and had six strikeouts as 19 batters failed to get the ball out of the infield. Volquez threw 106 pitches.

The Astros knew it wouldn't be their day when center fielder Michael Bourn ran into Carlos Lee as the left fielder prepared to catch Joey Votto's routine fly in the sixth, letting it drop for a two-base error. Bourn, who had called for the ball, stuffed the top of his jersey into his mouth in frustration after the play. Votto later scored on Nix's infield single for a 2-0 lead.

Notes: The Astros left slumping Lance Berkman out of the lineup even though he has 20 homers at Great American, the most by a visiting player. He pinch hit and lined out, leaving him in a 1-for-23 slump. ... RHP Brian Moehler made his second rehab appearance at Double-A, giving up 11 hits and eight runs in five innings. Moehler went on the DL April 14 with a sprained right knee. ... Slumping Reds 2B Brandon Phillips was out of the lineup for the first time. He pinch hit for Volquez in the eighth and lined out.

[Associated Press; By JOE KAY]

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.