Castro celebrates Cinco De Mayo with cinco-quatro win

Published 12:00 am Thursday, May 6, 2004

CINCINNATI - Juan Castro was engulfed by bouncing teammates at home plate, and fans screamed and hugged over a game-ending homer.

For a few precious moments Wednesday night, the Cincinnati Reds had an old, familiar feeling.

Castro's pinch homer in the 10th inning gave the Reds a 5-4 victory and dramatically halted their losing streak against the Milwaukee Brewers. It also reminded them of what they used to be.

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"That's the first time it's happened to me," said Castro, who had never ended a major league game with a homer. "It reminded me of last year. We did that many times."

Cincinnati did it 13 times last year, most of them before midseason trades ravaged the lineup. Now, the scaled-back Reds have their hands full trying to beat the only team that finished below them in the NL Central last year.

The Reds had lost their last five games and 10 of their last 11 against Milwaukee, which uncharacteristically let one slip away.

Adam Dunn tied it with a solo homer in the eighth, his 10th of the season. After both teams squandered chances to win it, Castro ended it with his first homer off Jeff Bennett (1-2).

Castro pumped his fist as he rounded first base on his one-out homer into the lower deck in left field. It was an especially joyous moment for Castro, who was born in Mexico and was celebrating Cinco de Mayo, one of his homeland's most important national holidays.

"Cinco De Mayo. Today was his day," reliever Danny Graves said. "It's a good thing he didn't play the whole game, he might've hit four."

Graves (1-2) pitched the last two innings to get the win, only Cincinnati's second in its last eight games.

Milwaukee had been 10-0 when leading after seven innings, a streak that Dunn snapped when he led off the eighth with a homer off Ben Ford. The teams then took turns wasting chances and making it another memorable encounter.

Milwaukee rallied for 9-8 and 10-9 wins over the Reds last week, overcoming a nine-run deficit for the second one.

"They're all great games, really," Brewers manager Ned Yost said. "The fans that are here at the stadium definitely get their money's worth."

They certainly got their hearts tugged one way and then another in the last three innings. After Dunn's homer tied it, the Reds got runners on first and third with only one out in the eighth.

Ken Griffey Jr., out of the Reds' lineup for a second straight game because of a tight hamstring, pinch hit and took a called third strike from Brooks Kieschnick, who also got Ryan Freel looking to end the inning.

Milwaukee got two runners aboard against Graves in the ninth, but Scott Podsednik grounded into a double play.

The Reds topped that, failing to score despite loading the bases with one out in the ninth. Luis Vizcaino struck out Brandon Larson and Jason Romano.

Milwaukee's Ben Sheets matched his career high by striking out 10 in six innings, then turned a 4-3 lead over to the bullpen.

There were more pitching problems for the Reds, who demoted struggling starter Jimmy Haynes to the bullpen before the game.

Jose Acevedo developed a blister on the middle finger of his right hand and had to leave the game in the fifth inning, another blow to a staff that ranks near the bottom of the NL.

Keith Ginter, who turned 28 on Wednesday, got the Brewers going with a solo homer in the first. Teammates slapped his hand and wished him happy birthday when he returned to the dugout.

"It was nice at the time, but looking back now, it seems kind of insignificant," Ginter said.

Lyle Overbay had an RBI double, extending his hitting streak to seven games, as the Brewers pulled ahead 3-0. Javier Valentin's two-run homer tied it at 3 in the fourth inning.

Acevedo left the game in the fifth after throwing his 66th pitch. Phil Norton replaced him and immediately gave up an RBI single to Geoff Jenkins that put Milwaukee up 4-3.

Notes: Podsednik has been successful on his last 16 steal attempts, leaving him one behind Robin Yount for the franchise record. … Sheets didn't mind missing Griffey, who is 3-for-7 career against the right-hander with two homers. … RHP Todd Van Poppel will take Haynes' spot as the fifth starter. Van Poppel is 23-34 career as a starter with a 6.45 ERA. … Dunn had a walk and a pair of strikeouts against Sheets. He is 1-for-15 career against the right-hander.