CINCINNATI (AP) — Bronson Arroyo was back to baffling ‘em with pitches thrown at different speeds from different angles.

Arroyo recovered from his roughest outing of the season with a solid showing, and Joey Votto drove in a pair of runs with a single and a triple on Friday night, leading the Cincinnati Reds to a 7-2 victory over the San Diego Padres.

The Reds have won three straight since getting embarrassed by the St. Louis Cardinals at home last weekend, dropping games by scores of 13-3 and 15-2.

Arroyo (10-9) took the loss in that first game against the Cardinals, giving up seven runs in a season-low 3 2-3 innings. In his last two starts, Arroyo had allowed 10 runs in only nine innings.

He was back on his game against San Diego, allowing only four hits in seven innings, including Logan Forsythe’s solo homer.

“You expect that, especially after that last little run,” manager Dusty Baker said. “He had a couple of rough ones. He had his regular catcher back.”

Catcher Ryan Hanigan was activated off the disabled list and started the game, his first in a month. He’d been sidelined since July 11 with a sprained left wrist. Hanigan went 0 for 2 with a pair of walks.

Arroyo took a little time after that rough outing against St. Louis to regroup.

“You have no choice,” he said. “You just keep going out and preparing yourself. You might dissect your preparations after two or three starts to try and pinpoint why you might not have been prepared. If it keeps up, you start thinking you’re on the down side of the mountain.”

And where is he now?

“I’m right on top of the mountain,” he said.

Votto drove in the first two runs off Andrew Cashner (8-6), ending the right-hander’s streak of three straight wins. Brandon Phillips added a two-run homer off Tim Stauffer.

Once the Padres got behind, Arroyo wasn’t going to allow them to catch up.

“He’s got good stuff,” Cashner said. “Those were some of the better breaking balls I’ve seen from him tonight.”

San Diego’s sloppy fielding helped the Reds score twice in the fifth for a 5-1 lead.

It was a break-out night for Todd Frazier. The Reds third baseman doubled in the first inning, ending an 0-for-31 slump that was the longest by a Reds player since Drew Stubbs went out in 32 consecutive at-bats last season. He came around on Votto’s single, which gave the first baseman a seven-game hitting streak.

Frazier got advice from numerous people, including hits king Pete Rose, about getting out of his slump.

“He’s the best hitter there ever was,” Frazier said. “He said never call it a slump. Call it a funk.”

Frazier opened the third with a walk and scored on Votto’s third triple of the season, a drive off the wall in right field that deflected back toward the infield. Jay Bruce’s double made it 3-0.

Frazier also had a walk and scored three times overall.

San Diego ranks fourth in the NL in fielding, but helped the Reds take control with sloppy defense. Votto opened the fifth inning with a four-pitch walk — Cashner wasn’t going to give him anything this time — and came around on Chris Heisey’s two-out single that right fielder Will Venable misplayed for an error. Then, Zack Cozart grounded to Forsythe, whose high throw from shortstop landed in the Reds’ dugout area, letting in another unearned run.

Phillips hit his 14th homer an inning later, also with two outs.

Venable homered in the eighth off Alfredo Simon, extending his hitting streak to six games.

Reliever Jonathan Broxton gave up a single in the ninth, his first appearance since June 13. The Reds set-up man was activated on Wednesday after recovering from a sprained pitching elbow.

Notes: Padres LF Carlos Quentin was out of the lineup for the seventh straight game because of a sore right knee that’s not improving much. Manager Bud Black said after the game that he’ll go on the disabled list. The Padres plan to call up OF Jaff Decker before the game on Saturday night. “Quentin couldn’t get over the hump on this one,” Black said. … Bruce and Phillips are among only seven players in the majors who have driven in a run in at least 50 games this season. … Frazier chose the soundtrack for the postgame fireworks show on Friday. … LH Tony Cingrani (5-1) starts for the Reds on Saturday against RH Tyson Ross (2-5).

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