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Votto helps Reds avoid sweep against Jays

AP Photo Reds' first baseman Joey Votto at bat against the Toronto Blue Jays Thursday, June 25, 2009.

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By Hal McCoy, Staff Writer Updated 8:07 AM Friday, June 26, 2009

TORONTO — The Cincinnati Reds came back from Canada with more than a pocket full of loonies and toonies they forgot to exchange for U.S. $1 bills.

They came back with something much more precious of Canadian value — a happy, functioning, fire-breathing Joey Votto, the Canadian-born first baseman who just came off the

disabled list.

On a muggy Ontario night, Votto stroked hits his first four times and drove in three runs, breaking a tie in the seventh inning with a home run that lifted the Reds to a 7-5 victory.

What made it all the more refreshing for the Reds as they zipped through customs en route to Cleveland was:

They snapped a four-game losing streak.
They gained a game on all three teams above them in the National League Central as St. Louis, Milwaukee and Chicago lost.
They overcame a second straight funky pitching performance by Johnny Cueto. In his previous start, he failed to hold a 5-0 lead against the White Sox and the Reds lost, 10-8.

This time he failed to hold leads off 4-0 in the first and 5-1 in the second, but this time he had Votto watching his back, his home run breaking a 5-5 tie in the seventh.

“I would have been really disappointed leaving here being swept,” said Votto. “Picking up this win in a tough game was really important for our ball club.

“I always want to play well, definitely in front of family and friends, but had I had this big game and we had lost I’d have been very disappointed,” he added. “The beautiful thing about baseball, is there is always a new day and it parallels life sometimes. You always get a new day. It was nice feeling good without thinking about the problems I’ve been having.”

Other heroics were provided by much-maligned Willy Taveras, who had three hits, two with bunts, one a suicide squeeze in the eighth that gave the Reds an insurance run.

Designated hitter Jonny Gomes drove in two with a double and shortstop Paul Janish had two of the Reds 15 hits.

“I was running out of material,” said manager Dusty Baker. “The hardest thing about losing is to try to talk about it after losing.”

He can thank Votto, who had a run-scoring two-out double in the first when the Reds scored four runs with two outs. He drove in Chris Dickerson with two outs in the second with a single, then led the seventh with a first-pitch homer, his ninth of the season.

“What a reception for Joey,” said manager Dusty Baker. “I was pulling for him to go 5 for 5 (he struck out in the ninth), but he did his thing — got us the lead, then we lost the big lead and he got it back for us. That was some performance in front of his home people.”

Baker said he was surprised Votto wanted to come back so quickly from rehab and play in his hometown, but added, “Joey is honest. And when Joey says he is ready and Joey says he wants to play you welcome him with open arms.

“Coming here means a lot of him and his family and his countrymen,” said Baker. “And he certainly means a lot to us.”

On Taveras and his two bunts and three hits night, Baker said, “He has been working on his stroke and working on his bunting and you like to see guys work and you like to see them rewarded for their work.”

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