Reds Rally To Beat Braves 13-9

Aaron Boone is starting to show Cincinnati Reds manager Jack McKeon what he wants to see.

"I like to see him do what he's doing -- taking the line drive instead of going for the home run," McKeon said Wednesday night after Boone drove in three runs, including a tiebreaking two-run single in the ninth inning as the Reds rallied twice to beat Atlanta 13-9, stopping the Braves' three-game winning streak.

"He's been tough in the clutch the last three or four days," McKeon said. "Consistency is what we like."

"I'm getting a chance to play," Boone said. "That's all you can ask as a young player. It's all about going out there and playing with confidence."

Boone had put together a career-high five-game hitting streak since being recalled from the minor leagues July 31. His clutch hit in the ninth triggered a four-run rally by the Reds.

Dmitri Young matched a career high with four RBI, hitting a two-run homer in the first. Ryan Klesko and Javy Lopez hit three-run homers for the Braves, who wasted 6-3 and 9-6 leads.

With the score 9-9, Young singled off Russ Springer (5-4) leading off the ninth, Sean Casey walked and Bret Boone sacrificed.

Eddie Taubensee was intentionally walked to load the bases, Boone singled to right and Chris Stynes and Reggie Sanders added RBI singles.

John Hudek (4-5) pitched a perfect eighth.

"There wasn't any good pitching on anyone's part," Braves manager Bobby Cox said.

Cincinnati, which had 16 hits, tied the score in the eighth on Aaron Boone's RBI doube off Dennis Martinez and pinch-hitter Willie Greene's two-run homer off John Rocker -- Cincinnati's first pinch homer since July 22, 1997, when Mike Kelly connected against Florida.

Atlanta starter Denny Neagle allowed six runs and seven hits in six innings, striking out eight. Reds starter Brett Tomko was pounded for nine runs and eight hits in 5 1-3 innings.

"In the first inning I couldn't get in the groove, but from there on I though I threw a pretty good ballgame," Neagle said. "I have nothing to hang my head about tonight."

"When I hit my spots, I got 'em out," Tomko said. "When I missed my spots, I got punished. I was a little wild."

Cincinnati took a 3-0 lead in the first on Barry Larkin's RBI single and Young's homer, but Klesko's homer tied the score in the bottom half and Lopez's homer put Atlanta ahead 6-3 in the fourth.

The Reds tied the score in the fifth when Young hit a two-run double and scored on Bret Boone's single. Atlanta surged back ahead in the sixth on a two-run single by pinch-hitter Greg Colbrunn and an RBI double by Walt Weiss.

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