Astros Win 12th In a Row

With their 12th consecutive win, the Houston Astros set a team record and widened their NL Central lead.

Shane Reynolds homered and allowed six hits in seven innings, and Ricky Gutierrez went 4-for-4 as the Astros routed the Philadelphia Phillies 12-2 Tuesday night.

"Shane was really sharp tonight, about the only thing that hurt him was we hit so long, it was hard for him to stay in a groove," Dierker said.

"They kind of steamrolled us," Philadelphia manager Terry Francona said. "They did it last night too. They hit better and they fielded better."

Reynolds (16-11) allowed both runs, struck out three and walked one. He is 2-0 with a 1.25 ERA in three September starts.

"Thank God August is over," Reynolds said. "Me and August don't get along at all. But really, I'm not doing anything different other than my location has been a little better."

Paul Byrd (14-9) was tagged for seven runs and eight hits in three-plus innings. The losing streak is the Phillies' longest since they lost 11 straight from June 24-July 7, 1997.

"It was embarrassing," Byrd said. "I was trying to move them off the plate when I hit those guys. I was afraid to throw inside after that (because) I was afraid I'd take someone's head off. I'm throwing balls not even close to where I want them. It's one thing to miss by a couple of inches, it's another to throw it on the other side of he plate."

Houston, which outhit Philadelphia 16-8, took a 3-0 lead in the second. Gutierrez, who has 12 hits in his last 20 at-bats, hit an RBI double to left on a ball Ron Gant misjudged. Reynolds then hit his third career homer, his first since Sept. 8, 1996. He is 11-for-63 (.175) this season and leads all major league pitchers with 14 RBIs.

"It's about time the Reds lost a game," Gutierrez said. "We feel very good about where we are with a four-game lead with 15 (games) to go, but I don't think they're going to go away. I think (the race) is going to go right down to the end."

Carl Everett had an RBI double in the third and Houston broke it open with a six-run fourth. Craig Biggio singled in a run, Bill Spiers hit an RBI single off Billy Brewer, Everett hit an RBI grounder, Ken Caminiti had a run-scoring double and Daryle Ward hit a two-run single.

Philadelphia got out of the inning when Carlton Loewer induced Tony Eusebio to hit into a double play.

"It's not as easy to manage a game like this as it is to watch one," Dierker said. "You want to rest your regulars in a game like this, but you have to be careful how you do it when you have as many guys hurt as we do. I didn't want to take everybody out and then have them come back on us."

Gant singled in a run in the sixth following Doug Glanville's triple and scored on pinch-hitter Wendall Magee's single.

Lance Berkman hit a two-run double in the seventh.

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