Reds Squeak By Philly In 9th

A modest bunt and a couple of run-of-the-mill singles kept the Cincinnati Reds thinking big.

Mike Cameron, Dmitri Young and Sean Casey hit consecutive one-out singles in the bottom of the ninth inning Friday night, giving Cincinnati a 5-4 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Reds twice came from behind for their 14th win in the last 19 games, improving their home record to 29-29. Although they've got the best road record in the majors at 38-17, the Reds have not been above .500 at home this season.

Cameron started the winning rally with a one-out bunt to the right of the mound off Steve Schrenk (1-3). Cameron decided to bunt on his own when he saw where the infield was positioned.

"I'm always thinking about it," Cameron said. "I saw that everybody was back and I thought I could put it down anywhere."

Cameron went to third on Young's single off Billy Brewer, his third hit of the game, and Casey lined a single to left-center for the win.

Eight Reds had hits and five players scored.

"You can pick your hero tonight," manager Jack McKeon said. "There's a bunch of them out there. Everybody played a key role."

Philadelphia's loss was a group effort as well. The Phillies stranded 11 runners, eight of them in scoring position.

Philadelphia's Doug Glanville stranded seven runners by scuttling three scorin opportunities. Glanville hit into a forceout with the bases loaded in the second, grounded out with runners on second and third in the sixth, and struck out with runners at first and third in the eighth inning.

The Phillies also wasted a chance to take the lead in the ninth, stranding runners at second and third when Scott Williamson (11-5) relieved and struck out Mike Lieberthal on three pitches.

"We did have our chances," Phillies manager Terry Francona said. "They feel good when they go to their bullpen and I can see why."

The series started ominously for Philadelphia, which put starter Curt Schilling on the 15-day DL because of continuing shoulder problems. He's not eligible to return until Aug. 22.

The Phillies then got an encouraging sign as Paul Byrd, scratched from his last start because of back spasms, lasted six innings and later said he felt fine during the game. The right-hander said he blew two leads and gave up four runs because of bad pitch selection, not a bad back.

"I felt I lost the game mentally," Byrd said. "I felt that the back didn't have anything to do with it."

Reds starter Brett Tomko also blew a lead and left after six innings, leaving it up to the bullpens.

Philadelphia went ahead 2-0 as Scott Rolen tripled and scored on Rico Brogna's groundout in the second and Lieberthal led off the fourth with his 23rd homer.

Byrd gave up Greg Vaughn's two-run homer, his 28th, in the fourth inning and Young's solo shot in the fifth, his seventh, to put the Reds up 3-2.

It took Tomko only three batters to give the lead back again. Rolen singled to open the sixth, Brogna broke an 0-for-16 slump with a double and Lieberthal pulled a two-run double inside third base for a 4-3 lead.

The Reds tied it in the bottom of the sixth on two-out doubles by Pokey Reese and pinch hitter Hal Morris.

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