Gargne blows it in 10th, Junior lifts Reds over Brewers 4-3

Cincinnati Reds' Ken Griffey Jr. hits to drive in the winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Sunday, April 20, 2008, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/David Kohl)

CINCINNATI—Edwin Encarnacion and Paul Bako hit consecutive homers off Eric Gagne in the 10th inning Sunday, and Ken Griffey Jr. followed with a run-scoring single that sent the Cincinnati Reds to a 4-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Reds won for only the second time in their last nine games, a downturn linked to their struggling offense. Down to their last at-bat on Sunday, they finally got it going.

Encarnacion helped the Brewers pull ahead 3-1 in the top of the 10th with his sixth fielding error, booting a grounder as he hurried to try to start a double play. Jared Burton (1-1) let in a run with a wild pitch, and J.J. Hardy singled home another.

The Brewers closer couldn't keep them perfect in extra innings.

Gagne (1-1), pitching for the fourth straight day, gave up Encarnacion's second solo homer of the game and Bako's first homer of the season to open the inning. He left after walking Scott Hatteberg.

Brandon Phillips had a one-out infield single off Salomon Torres, and Griffey singled over the head of right fielder Corey Hart to end it.

The Brewers had been 4-0 in extra innings.

Another cool, wet afternoon made it tough on the hitters. A steady rain fell throughout the game, and fans bundled themselves in jackets and hooded sweatshirts against the 56-degree chill.

All the teams managed through the first nine innings was one homer apiece -- Hardy in the fourth, Encarnacion in the sixth.

Milwaukee's Yovani Gallardo, activated off the disabled list before the game, allowed only four hits through eight innings. The right-hander proved his surgically repaired left knee was fine by throwing 112 pitches.

Aaron Harang was sick in his start last Tuesday, when the Cubs piled up five runs in six innings of a 9-5 victory at Wrigley Field. He was back in form on Sunday, allowing four hits in eight innings while striking out eight.

His only glaring mistake came against Hardy, one of numerous Brewers hitters who have yet to find their stroke. The shortstop was a first-time All-Star last season, when he hit 26 homers, but has struggled to keep his average above .200 in April.

He had three hits in a 3-2 win over the Reds on April 8 in Milwaukee, then went into a deep funk, batting only .189 since. On his first swing against Harang in the fourth, when he sent a belt-high fastball toward the upper deck in left field for his first homer.

Hardy also threw Adam Dunn out at the plate on a relay as he tried to score standing up from first base on Jeff Keppinger's double in the fourth inning.

Notes:@ Milwaukee optioned utility player Joe Dillon to Triple-A Nashville to open a roster spot for Gallardo. Dillon was primarily a pinch hitter, going 2-for-10 in nine games. ... The Reds put reliever David Weathers on the 15-day DL with an inflamed nerve in his right elbow. The move opens a spot for RHP Matt Belisle, who is expected to be activated off the DL to start Monday's game against the Dodgers. ... Encarnacion has hit in 10 straight games, matching his career high. ... Cincinnati's Corey Patterson extended his slump to 0-for-22.