Arroyo (10-8) was coming off his best showing of the season, a four-hitter for a 3-0 win over the Mets on Saturday. The right-hander kept his scoreless streak going by giving up only five hits. He was also a good lobbyist, persuading manager Dusty Baker to let him stay in the game with the bases loaded in the seventh. A disputed interference call saved him.
Encarnacion tied his career high with four hits, including a solo homer that left him 7 for 7 in the first two games of the series. Since returning from a broken wrist, the third baseman is batting .385 with three homers in 12 games.
The Reds took control with three unearned runs off Jeff Suppan (5-7), who hasn't won in more than month.
Center fielder Mike Cameron let Encarnacion's single skip through his legs in the fourth inning, allowing Laynce Nix to score from first base. Shortstop J.J. Hardy bounced his throw to first base on Willy Taveras' routine grounder in the fifth, an error that started a two-run rally. Nix and Encarnacion singled home two-out runs.
The errors undercut Suppan, who is 0-3 with three no-decisions since his last victory on June 12.
Arroyo opened the season fighting a flare-up of carpal tunnel syndrome. He has been a pitcher of extremes
- before throwing his second career shutout against New York, Arroyo had lost three straight starts, giving up 21 runs in 14 innings.
On Friday, he not only pitched a good game but talked one, too.
After his walk to Cameron loaded the bases with one out in the seventh, Baker walked to the mound
- usually the harbinger of a pitching change. Reliever Nick Masset left the bullpen in center field and headed for the mound.
A little premature.
Baker asked a few questions, Arroyo answered and the manager nodded his head and headed back to the dugout, drawing a cheer from the crowd of 25,687. Arroyo immediately made his manager look good.
All-Star Ryan Braun hit Arroyo's first pitch on the ground to Encarnacion, who threw to Brandon Phillips at second for the forceout. Cameron slid hard beyond the base, making sure there would be no double play, and umpire Kevin Causey called interference for the final out of the inning.
