| SEASON | CAREER |
| W10 | 35 |
| L8 | 31 |
| G24 | 102 |
| IP147.0 | 583.0 |
| BB43 | 213 |
| SO111 | 449 |
| SEASON | CAREER |
| W2 | 121 |
| L7 | 76 |
| G21 | 275 |
| IP148.0 | 1789.0 |
| BB24 | 416 |
| SO142 | 1465 |
The Cincinnati Reds have baseball's second-best record and appear to be headed for just their second postseason appearance in the last 17 years.
They have to be thrilled the Philadelphia Phillies almost certainly won't be around in October as well.
The Reds look to avoid losing their eighth straight and 16th out of 17 against the Phillies on Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park, but that won't be easy considering how impressive Cliff Lee has looked against Cincinnati of late.
The Reds' last trip to the playoffs ended quickly with a 2010 NL division series sweep at the hands of Philadelphia, a three-game stretch that fit right in with the Phillies' dominance in this series.
Philadelphia (57-65) won seven of eight from Cincinnati (74-49) in 2011, and didn't miss a beat in its first meeting in 2012. The Reds tallied two runs in the first Monday, but the Phillies scored in every inning but the second, totaling 15 hits in a 12-5 rout.
"It seems like they play us pretty tough here," center fielder Chris Heisey told the Reds' official website. "We score some runs and they come right back. That's a momentum shift."
Cincinnati scored all five of its runs off Roy Halladay , but it hasn't had much success against the former Cy Young Award winner it'll see on the hill Tuesday. Lee (2-7, 3.83 ERA) is 3-0 with a 1.40 ERA in three outings against the Reds since 2010, lasting at least eight innings in each while totaling 22 strikeouts and two walks.
The left-hander has been a much less effective pitcher in 2012, of course, and his latest problem has been the long ball. Lee struck out 12 but gave up three solo homers and left without a decision after 7 2-3 innings in Thursday's 7-4 loss at Milwaukee, bringing his total to 11 blasts allowed over his last five starts.
Eight of those have come at home, where he wasn't won since Sept. 5.
"It was one of those games," Lee told the team's official website.
That's a phrase Homer Bailey (10-8, 4.16) has likely felt like repeating recently. The right-hander fell to 1-2 with an 8.24 ERA in his last four outings after allowing six runs and eight hits over 5 2-3 innings Thursday in an 8-4 home loss to the Mets.
"I feel good out there throwing, and into starts and stuff," Bailey said. "I'm not really getting that sore between starts. Physically, I feel great. I have no excuses, just not making pitches as consistently as I need to."
He hasn't made many good pitches to the Phillies. Bailey is 0-3 with a 5.88 ERA in five career starts versus Philadelphia, including a 7.00 ERA in four at Citizens Bank Park.
This season, however, Bailey has done his best work away from home. He's 3-6 with a 5.42 ERA in 13 starts in Cincinnati but 7-2 with a 2.92 ERA in 11 road outings.
The Reds have won Bailey's last eight road starts since he failed to make it out of the fourth inning in an 8-3 loss at Milwaukee on May 8.
Jay Bruce had been just the opposite of Bailey, thriving at home and struggling on the road, but he went 3 for 3 in the series opener. The right fielder is hitting .457 (16 for 35) with four homers and 11 RBIs in nine games since manager Dusty Baker gave him two days off to work out of a slump.
Starting with Game 2 of the 2010 NLDS, Bruce is hitting .481 (13 for 27) with four homers and 14 RBIs in his last six games in Philadelphia.
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AVG
HRRUNSSBSOBBOBPSLGOPS
VS.
| HITTERS | AB | AVG | H | HR | RBI | BB | SO | OBP | OPS | SLG |
| Homer Bailey | 3 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Jay Bruce | 13 | .231 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | .286 | .748 | .462 |
| Miguel Cairo | 19 | .421 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | .476 | 1.108 | .632 |
| Johnny Cueto | 2 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Todd Frazier | 1 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Ryan Hanigan | 5 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | .286 | .286 | .000 |
| Willie Harris | 1 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Chris Heisey | 8 | .250 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | .250 | .500 | .250 |
| Ryan Ludwick | 6 | .333 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .286 | .619 | .333 |
| Brandon Phillips | 23 | .261 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | .250 | .728 | .478 |
| Scott Rolen | 17 | .471 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | .500 | 1.324 | .824 |
| Drew Stubbs | 7 | .429 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .429 | .858 | .429 |
| Wilson Valdez | 1 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Joey Votto | 13 | .385 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | .385 | 1.077 | .692 |
VS.
| HITTERS | AB | AVG | H | HR | RBI | BB | SO | OBP | OPS | SLG |
| Cole Hamels | 4 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Kyle Kendrick | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 1.000 | .000 |
| Cliff Lee | 4 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| John Mayberry | 5 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Hunter Pence | 11 | .182 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | .250 | .523 | .273 |
| Juan Pierre | 1 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Placido Polanco | 4 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Jimmy Rollins | 7 | .286 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .286 | .572 | .286 |
| Carlos Ruiz | 6 | .500 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .571 | 1.071 | .500 |
| Shane Victorino | 11 | .364 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | .417 | 1.053 | .636 |
| Ty Wigginton | 6 | .167 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .167 | .334 | .167 |
 Cincinnati Reds |
|||
| Date | Player | Status | Injury |
| August 01, 2012 | Devin Mesoraco | 7-Day DL | Concussion |
| August 01, 2012 | Wilson Valdez | Day-to-Day | Left game - stiff neck |
| August 01, 2012 | Devin Mesoraco | 7-Day DL | Concussion |
| July 31, 2012 | Brandon Phillips | Day-to-Day | Left game - strained left calf |
| July 31, 2012 | Bill Bray | 15-Day DL | Lumbar muscle strain |
| July 16, 2012 | Joey Votto | Day-to-Day | Torn meniscus, left knee - out 3-4 weeks |
 Philadelphia Phillies |
|||
| Date | Player | Status | Injury |
| August 13, 2012 | Nate Schierholtz | 15-Day DL | Fractured right big toe |
| August 03, 2012 | Carlos Ruiz | 15-Day DL | Plantar fasciitis, left foot |
| July 23, 2012 | Placido Polanco | 15-Day DL | Lower back inflammation |
| July 23, 2012 | Placido Polanco | 15-Day DL | Lower back inflammation |
| July 09, 2012 | Raul Valdes | 15-Day DL | Strained right hip |
| July 09, 2012 | Raul Valdes | 15-Day DL | Strained right hip |
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Zack Cozart went up swinging when Jonathan Papelbon figured he'd be looking.
Cozart won.
Cozart hit a tiebreaking homer on Papelbon's first pitch in the ninth and the Cincinnati Reds beat the Phillies 5-4 Tuesday night to snap a seven-game losing streak against Philadelphia.
"I was looking to swing at the first pitch," Cozart said. "Usually when you face guys like that, they'll try to get ahead of you."
That was Papelbon's thought process.
"I was just thinking too much about him being a leadoff hitter and trying to take one (strike) and look to manufacture a run off me," Papelbon said. "I can't overanalyze and I just have to execute my pitches."
Kevin Frandsen hit a tying RBI triple off Jonathan Broxton in the eighth, but the NL Central-leading Reds went ahead to stay on Cozart's shot off Papelbon (3-5).
Cliff Lee took a shutout into the seventh before allowing three runs to remain winless at home this season.
"Lee was outstanding," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "His record doesn't indicate how good he is."
The Reds took a 4-3 lead when Todd Frazier connected off Antonio Bastardo with two outs in the eighth for his 18th homer. The Phillies answered against Broxton (2-1). Domonic Brown hit a two-out single, and Frandsen tripled down the right-field line.
Reds starter Homer Bailey gave up three runs and seven hits in 6 1-3 innings. Aroldis Chapman got three outs for his 30th save in 34 tries. He struck out Chase Utley swinging at 102 mph fastball with the tying run at third to end it.
The five-time defending NL East champion Phillies had won 12 of 13 against the Reds. The Phillies failed to move within seven games of .500 for the first time since they were 36-43.
A sellout crowd of 45,091 fans each received a Hunter Pence bobblehead. Pence was traded to the San Francisco Giants on July 31, but the Phillies stuck with the promotion because the figurines were already made.
After Lee pitched out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam to preserve a 1-0 lead in the sixth, the Reds rallied in the seventh.
Scott Rolen led off with a double. After Frazier walked, Ryan Hanigan singled up the middle to drive in Rolen. Both runners advanced on an error when first baseman Ryan Howard dropped the ball trying to cut off the throw home.
Lee then struck out Bailey, but Cozart hit a sacrifice fly to put the Reds up 2-1. Drew Stubbs followed with an RBI single, ending Lee's night.
A frustrated Lee jogged off to a standing ovation, but slammed his glove down in the dugout.
Lee allowed two earned runs and nine hits, struck out nine and walked one.
"It's definitely been a strange year," said Lee, who is 2-7. "All I can do is continue to focus on my routine, prepare for each start and expect to win each time I take the mound."
The offense got Lee off the hook in the bottom half.
Frandsen hit a one-out single and Erik Kratz followed with a double to chase Bailey. Sean Marshall entered and walked pinch-hitter Ty Wigginton .
Jimmy Rollins then lined a two-run double to tie it at 3. Juan Pierre got down a bunt, but Wigginton was thrown out at the plate despite crashing into catcher Ryan Hanigan .
Outstanding defense helped Lee in the sixth after three straight singles loaded the bases. Third baseman Frandsen made a diving grab on Ryan Ludwick 's grounder in the hole, spun around and threw home from his knee to get a forceout.
The crowd showed their appreciation for Frandsen with a standing ovation.
Hot-hitting Jay Bruce then bounced into a double play, started by second baseman Utley. Rollins made an excellent turn with Ludwick coming in hard. That drew an enthusiastic fist pump from the stoic Utley, who hardly ever shows any emotion on the field.
NOTES: The Phillies are 20-11 against the NL Central, the only division they have a winning record against. ... Lee walked his first batter in four starts in the seventh inning. ... The Reds are 25-11 without 1B Joey Votto . ... Bruce was 0 for 4, snapping his nine-game hitting streak. ... Philadelphia's Vance Worley (6-8, 4.11 ERA) faces Bronson Arroyo (9-7, 3.96 ERA) in a matchup of right-handers Wednesday night.
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Follow Rob Maaddi on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobMaaddi
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Cincinnati Reds