Reds Hand Astros 100th Loss, 10-0

Reds Hand Astros 100th Loss, 10-0

(AP) Reds hand Astros 100th loss, 10-0
By KRISTIE RIEKEN
AP Sports Writer
HOUSTON
Jay Bruce hit a grand slam and had 5 RBIs, Mike Leake pitched eight scoreless innings and the Cincinnati Reds cruised to a 10-0 win over Houston on Tuesday night, handing the Astros their 100th loss.

Cincinnati is 4 1/2 games ahead of Washington for second NL wild card.

The Astros are the first major league team to lose at least 100 games in three straight seasons since Kansas City from 2004-06.

The Reds got to work early, with Zack Cozart driving in two runs in a four-run first inning.

Cincinnati was up by five in the fourth before Bruce’s towering slam to the Crawford Boxes in left field pushed the lead to 9-0 and chased Jordan Lyles (7-8).

Leake (14-6) allowed five hits over eight innings and struck out six with two walks.

Sean Marshall, who hadn’t pitched since May 20 because of shoulder tendinitis, threw a perfect ninth to complete the shutout.

The Reds tagged Lyles for nine hits and nine runs in 3 1-3 innings.

The Astros, who have the worst record in the majors, fell to 51-100. They were 56-106 in 2011 and dropped to 55-107 last year, their final season in the National League.

With a rookie-filled team and the lowest payroll in the majors, the Astros have had plenty of lopsided games this year. But even in an already dismal year, the night they eclipsed the century mark yet again was particularly ugly.

Things went downhill quickly for the Astros. Lyles had a two-base error when he fielded a high-bouncing grounder hit by Brandon Phillips and badly overthrew first base with one out in the first.

Joey Votto singled before an RBI single by Bruce made it 1-0. Xavier Paul walked to load the bases and Todd Frazier’s single pushed the lead to 2-0.

Cozart wrapped up the scoring in that inning with a two-RBI single to make it 4-0.

The bottom of the first didn’t go any better for Houston. Jonathan Villar hit a leadoff single, but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double. But it wasn’t just that he was thrown out, but the way he was thrown out that was embarrassing.

Villar slid into second base, but Phillips already had the ball before he began the slide. The always flamboyant Phillips reached backward between his legs to apply the tag as Villar crashed head-first into Phillips’ backside.

Cozart added an RBI single in the third to extend Cincinnati’s lead to 5-0.

Derrick Robinson walked with no outs in the fourth inning before Shin-Soo Choo drew a walk. A one-out walk by Votto loaded the bases to set up the slam by Bruce, which chased Lyles. It was his 30th homer this season and first grand slam since Sept. 5, 2008.

A sacrifice fly by Cesar Izturis in the seventh put Cincinnati up 10-0.

NOTES: Houston All-Star catcher Jason Castro was placed on the 15-day disabled list with discomfort in his right knee, ending his season on Tuesday. … The series wraps up on Wednesday when Houston’s Brad Peacock opposes Greg Reynolds. … Votto extended his hitting streak at Minute Maid Park to 23 games, which is the longest by a player in the park’s history.

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