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Astros' Oswalt continues mastery of Reds

HOUSTON -- The Cincinnati Reds took advantage of a
rookie to temporarily stop a long slide.

With Andy Pettitte unavailable to pitch because of a family
illness, the Reds roughed up replacement starter Matt Albers and
held on for a 5-4 victory over the Houston Astros.

Chris Denorfia smacked a two-run homer and Ryan Freel doubled
home two runs as the Reds won for just the seventh time in 23
games. They remain seven games behind the St. Louis Cardinals
in the National League Central Division and five games back of
San Diego in the wild card race.

Luke Scott was just a single shy of the cycle and drove in three
runs to rally the Astros, who tumbled 6 1/2 games behind the
Padres with just 12 to play.

Pettitte was scratched from his scheduled start to be with his
ailing father, who is hospitalized with a heart condition. That
forced Houston to send out Albers (0-2) for just his second
career start, and the 23-year-old righthander allowed five runs
and six hits in 4 2/3 innings.

Reds starter Aaron Harang (14-11) was steady if unspectacular,
working 7 2/3 innings and yielding four runs and eight hits,
including solo homers to Scott and Adam Everett. He struck out
five and did not walk a batter.

The Astros had a chance to tie in the eighth after Scott doubled
home a run to cut the deficit to 5-4. Houston loaded the
bases, but David Weathers relieved Scott Schoeneweis and got
Chris Burke to popout on a 2-0 pitch to end the threat.
Weathers logged the ninth for his 11th save.

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