Padres 3, Reds 1
CINCINNATI - Right-hander Tyson Ross allowed one run and four hits through seven innings, and Will Venable hit his 15th home run, lifting the San Diego Padres to a 3-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday at Great American Ball Park.
Ross (3-5) kept the Reds off balance for most the night, despite tying a season-high with four walks. He struck out six.
Huston Street pitched a 1-2-3 ninth and struck out two for his 22nd save.
Reds starter Tony Cingrani (5-2) was mostly the victim of poor luck on Saturday. But he finished with four hitless innings to keep the score close.
Cincinnati (64-52) committed four errors, including a career-high three miscues by third baseman Jack Hannahan.
San Diego (53-63) managed just four hits Saturday, but took advantage of Cincinnati's defensive misplays and a crucial base-running mistake.
Trailing 2-1 in the seventh, the Reds ran themselves out of a scoring chance. With runners on second and third, Devin Mesoraco flew out to shallow right field. Xavier Paul, who was on first, attempted to reach second but was retired for a 9-3-6 double play.
Venable gave the bullpen some breathing room when he launched a 1-2 pitch from left-hander Manny Parra into the right field seats putting the Padres ahead 3-1 in the eighth. Venable went 2-for-4 and scored twice.
San Diego grabbed the lead in the first inning, aided by two Cincinnati errors.
Chris Denorfia singled and scored from first on Venable's single to left field when Paul bobbled the ball for an error, putting the Padres ahead 1-0. Venable later scored from second on Hannahan's throwing error.
Brandon Phillips' RBI single in the bottom of the first put the Reds on the board.
Cingrani didn't allow a hit after the first inning and gave up just two unearned runs and two hits in his five innings.
NOTES: Padres LF Carlos Quentin was placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to July 31, with a right knee sprain and OF Jaff Decker was recalled from Triple-A. ... Reds LF Ryan Ludwick worked out Saturday and is expected to be activated on Monday. Ludwick has been on the DL since Opening Day when he tore the labrum in his right shoulder. ... Without Everth Cabrera and Quentin, Padres manager Bud Black is discouraging his players from trying to do too much. "We can't have guys stepping outside the box," Black said. "It needs to be all of us, collectively, with situational hitting and playing the right way on defense." ... Former Reds OF Ken Griffey Jr. was inducted into the Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame on Saturday. Griffey played eight seasons for the Reds, his hometown team, and hit 630 career homers.
