Hafner is grand as Indians overcome Reds

Baseball Betting Lines

07/02/2006 - Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Travis Hafner's sixth career grand slam helped the Cleveland Indians top the Cincinnati Reds, 12-7, in the middle contest of their three-game interleague series at Great American Ball Park.

Cliff Lee (8-5) followed up an impressive June with another win, allowing four runs on nine hits with one walk and three strikeouts in six innings.

Ronnie Belliard and Victor Martinez both had two hits and two runs scored for the Indians, who snapped a two-game losing streak.

Right-hander Joe Mays (0-5), who made his second start with the Reds, gave up eight runs on 11 hits with two strikeouts and four walks in five innings. Ken Griffey Jr., Austin Kearns and Ryan Freel homered for the Reds, who had a three-game winning streak broken.

Cleveland got on the board right away with one run in the first. Belliard doubled and later scored on a Ben Broussard double to left field.

The Indians added two more runs in the second. Aaron Boone walked and Franklin Gutierrez and Cliff Lee singled to load the bases with no outs. Grady Sizemore then walked to force home Boone, and Jhonny Peralta singled home Gutierrez.

The Tribe missed an opportunity to do more damage, as with the bases still juiced, Martinez grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Cincinnati tied the game in the fourth with three runs on one play. Rich Aurilia doubled, Brandon Phillips singled and Jason LaRue got intentionally walked. Mays then cleared the bases with a double to right field to tie the game.

Cleveland regained control right away in the fifth by scoring five quick runs. Peralta, Martinez and Broussard singled, and Todd Hollandsworth grounded a run-scoring single. Boone got intentionally walked to reload the bases for Hafner, who belted a grand slam over the wall in center field.

Cincinnati started to rally in the home half when Griffey smacked a solo shot to right field on a 2-0 pitch.

The Indians tacked on two more runs in the seventh. Boone walked and Joe Inglett doubled, and Ryan Garko doubled them both home on a ground ball to left field.

The Reds scored two more runs in the seventh when Aurilia singled and Kearns homered him home on a 2-0 pitch to left field.

Cleveland kept pushing, however, with two more runs in the eighth. Belliard doubled and Martinez walked. Hollandsworth then singled home Kearns and Boone singled home Martinez.

Freel homered to center field on a 1-0 pitch in the eighth for the final margin.

Game Notes

The Reds took two of three from Cleveland last week, but Cleveland has won 10 of the last 17 encounters...Cincy is 61-77 all-time in interleague play, while the Indians are 92-82 against the National League...Mays is now 0-8 against Cleveland...Hafner's four grand slams in a season ties the franchise record with Al Rosen in 1951.

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