Asked if the spoiler role suited the Reds, manager Dusty Baker said, "We're not thinking that way. We're only 12 games under .500 and there are a couple of teams ahead of us we think we can catch."
Bronson Arroyo, foiled over and over in recent starts with good performances and no results, held the Braves to one run and six hits over seven innings and flattened his record at 12-12.
Well, it's a new month. In August Arroyo made six starts, all quality starts, and he was 1-2 with a 1.99 earned run average.
Amazingly, Arroyo said he was in a sick funk until he got hit in the spine area with a line drive in the fourth inning, "And that kinda woke me up," he said.
"I didn't feel good until I got hit with the line drive, to tell you the truth," he said. "I was having problems, didn't know what was going on. My body was just sluggish and I felt as if I was in a straight jacket trying to throw."
It was the Braves who were put into a straight jacket and Arroyo said, "I was having some problems with my mid-section, but I was able to get out of some big innings early on."
Arroyo escaped a bases-loaded and no outs dilemma in the first when Scott Rolen started a third-to-home-to-first double play and Adam LaRoche flied to left.
"The game started out a little hairy, but that was a great play by Scott Rolen to go to the plate," said Baker. "Most third basemen probably would have conceded the run and gone the long way to second for the double play. That was a big play for Bronson."
He was in trouble again in the fifth — two on and nobody out, but catcher Corky Miller picked pitcher Derek Lowe off second base and Arroyo retired the next two.
"That was a huge play by Corky," said Baker. "With the pitcher out there on second, he was trying to get a good jump to get to third. That's a tough read sometimes but it was a great play by Miller."
Jonny Gomes got the Reds offense jump-started with a two-out, two-strike home run in the second, Gomes' 17th homer in only 218 at-bats. And 12 of his 17 home runs have come off righthanded pitchers.
The Reds tacked on two in the sixth on a walk and three straight hits by Brandon Phillips, Rolen and Gomes.
Phillips, playing in front of the home folks from nearby
Stone Mountain, had two hits and drove in a run.
Atlanta's only run came on Nate McLouth's two-out home run in the sixth.
Once again defense, especially in the infield, sparkled for the Reds.
"That's a big key for us winning 10 of our last 12," said Baker. "There are more balls hit to the infield than the outfield. Those guys have been outstanding — Janish has been playing great shortstop, Scott is Scott at third base, Brandon Phillips is a Gold Glove at second and Joey Votto at first has been getting better and better (he had an error Friday)."
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