Astros top Reds to halt eight-game slide

4:50 PM, Jun 3, 2012   |    comments
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Houston, TX (Sports Network) - Justin Maxwell hit a pinch-hit two-run homer while Jason Castro and Marwin Gonzalez each had two hits and a RBI to lead the Houston Astros to a 5-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds in the finale of a three- game set at Minute Maid Park.

Jordan Schafer also drove in a run for the Astros, who halted an eight-game skid.

Jordan Lyles (1-1) gave up two runs on five hits and struck out three over seven frames to earn the win.

Brett Myers tossed a perfect ninth to pick up his 13th save of the season.

Zack Cozart hit a two-run homer and Joey Votto drove in a run for the Reds, who completed a six-game road trip with a 3-3 record.

Bronson Arroyo (2-4) was pegged with the loss after giving up five runs on eight hits over 6 1/3 innings.

Houston took a 1-0 lead in the second. Chris Johnson walked, moved to third on a Brett Wallace single and scored on a Castro sacrifice fly.

But the Reds answered back in the third and took a 2-1 lead when Arroyo singled before Cozart crushed one over the fence in left-center.

Houston added a pair of runs in both the fifth and seventh to go ahead 5-2.

In the fifth, Wallace and Castro hit back-to-back singles before Gonzalez followed with a single of his own to score Wallace. A sacrifice-bunt moved Castro to third before he scored on Schafer's sacrifice-fly.

In the seventh, Gonzalez singled before Maxwell's pinch-hit homer to left put Houston ahead 5-2.

Cincinnati added one in the eighth to make it 5-3. Todd Frazier doubled before moving to third on Cozart's infield single. Votto then clobbered a towering sacrifice-fly to the warning track that easily plated Frazier.

Game Notes

Houston improved to 4-5 in two-run games...The Astros are 18-11 when they score four or more runs...Prior to the game, Houston placed first baseman Carlos Lee on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring and recalled Wallace from Triple-A Oklahoma City...Votto extended his hitting streak to 10 games...Arroyo lost for the first time in his last 10 starts against Houston. He is 8-1 over that span.

The Sports Network