CINCINNATI — A game that featured seven solo homers in the first five innings came down to an infield single, a wild pitch — and the Cincinnati bullpen.

Joey Votto scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch in the seventh inning and the Reds overcame Jeff Keppinger’s first career multihomer game and five Houston homers in a 6-5 victory over the Astros on Wednesday night.

Votto led off the seventh against Wesley Wright (3-3) with an infield single and went to third on a single by Brandon Phillips. Jeff Fulchino relieved Wright with Chris Coste going in at catcher in a double switch. Fulchino bounced a pitch that Coste couldn’t handle, allowing Votto to break a 5-5 tie and give the Reds their second sweep of a three-game series against Houston in Cincinnati this season.

‘‘That’s why they call baseball a funny game,’’ Fulchino said. ‘‘That’s the way it goes. I threw a slider that backed up on me. I think if you ask Coste, he blocks that nine times out of 10, but it bounced the other way.’’

Reds manager Dusty Baker was glad to take it.

‘‘It doesn’t matter how you get it as long as you get it,’’ Baker said. ‘‘It feels good to win again and get back on a winning streak.’’

Three Reds relievers combined to retire the last 11 batters. Jared Burton (1-0) retired all five he faced for the win. Nick Masset pitched a perfect eighth and Francisco Cordero worked the ninth for his 37th save and third in three games.

‘‘We just got ahead of the hitters, especially in the last inning,’’ said Cordero, who has three blown saves this season. ‘‘The bullpen’s been lights out down there. I feel like I’m on a roll every time I have a save opportunity. I’ve got to go out there and do my job. That’s why they pay me the money they pay me.’’

Reds’ boxscore

Wednesday’s Game

Reds 6, Astros 5

Houston Cincinnati

ab r h bi ab r h bi

Bourn cf 4 0 2 0 Stubbs cf 5 1 2 2

KMatsu 2b 3 1 1 1 Janish ss 5 0 0 0

Pence rf 5 0 2 0 Votto 1b 2 2 2 0

Ca.Lee lf 5 1 1 1 BPhllps 2b 4 0 3 0

Blum 1b 4 1 1 1 Rolen 3b 3 0 1 1

Kppngr 3b-ss 4 2 3 2 Gomes rf 3 1 1 1

Towles c 4 0 1 0 Burton p 0 0 0 0

Fulchin p 0 0 0 0 JFrncs ph 0 0 0 0

Manzell ss 3 0 0 0 Masset p 0 0 0 0

Michals ph 1 0 0 0 Corder p 0 0 0 0

CJhnsn 3b 0 0 0 0 Balentn lf 4 2 2 0

Bazard p 2 0 0 0 Tatum c 2 0 0 0

Maysnt ph 1 0 1 0 Barker ph 1 0 0 0

WLopez p 0 0 0 0 Hanign c 0 0 0 0

Wrght p 0 0 0 0 Lehr p 1 0 0 1

Coste c 1 0 0 0 Viola p 0 0 0 0

Bruce rf 2 0 0 0

Totals 37 5 12 5 Totals 32 6 11 5

Houston 003 020 000 — 5

Cincinnati 012 101 10x — 6

E—Bazardo (2). DP—Houston 1. LOB—Houston 8, Cincinnati 8. 2B—Pence (24), Balentien (7). HR—K.Matsui (7), Ca.Lee (26), Blum (10), Keppinger 2 (7), Stubbs (7), Gomes (20). SB—Bourn (57), Stubbs (6). S—Bourn, Tatum, Lehr. SF—Rolen.

IP H R ER BB SO

Houston

Bazardo 5 7 4 4 2 2

W.Lopez BS,1-1 1 2 1 1 0 1

W.Wright L,3-3 0 2 1 1 0 0

Fulchino 2 0 0 0 1 6

Cincinnati

Lehr 5 11 5 5 1 6

Viola 1-3 1 0 0 1 0

Burton W,1-0 1 2-3 0 0 0 0 2

Masset H,16 1 0 0 0 0 1

Cordero S,37-40 1 0 0 0 0 1

W.Wright pitched to 2 batters in the 7th. WP—Fulchino. Umpires—Home, Jim Reynolds; First, Chad Fairchild; Second, Bill Welke; Third, Tim Welke. T—2:57. A—10,662 (42,319).