Philadelphia, PA (Best E Casino) - Joey Votto broke up Brett Myers' no-hit bid in the seventh inning with an RBI double, and knocked in another run in the ninth as the Reds rode another dominant performance by Edinson Volquez to a 2-0 win.
Volquez (8-2) fanned eight and allowed only two hits over seven innings, and has yet to allow more than two earned runs in any of his 12 starts this season. He dropped his earned run average to a paltry 1.32.
Votto had two of Cincinnati's three hits, driving in both runs for the Reds, who had won three straight before dropping the first two of this four-game set.
Myers (3-7) threw 6 2/3 innings of no-hit ball, but took the loss despite allowing only one run and one hit in 7 1/3 frames. Myers struck out eight, but walked six for the Phillies, who had won three straight and eight of nine.
Reds outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. sat out his third straight game with general soreness, and a sore left knee. He pinch-hit and walked in the eight inning, and remains one long ball shy of the 600-career homer club.
Myers took a no-no into the seventh, with the game still scoreless. Jay Bruce grounded out, but Myers issued a walk to Brandon Phillips, who then stole second. Adam Dunn flied out to left, and Myers got ahead of Votto 0-2. He left a pitch up in the zone, however, and Votto lined it into left-center for a double, plating Phillips with the first run of the game.
"I just tried to put the ball in play, just tried to get the runner in ... I looked for something I could drive ... I felt like I got that," said Votto.
Dunn gave the Phillies life in the eighth when he muffed Chase Utley's liner to left, allowing Utley to move to second with one out. Howard struck out, though, and closer Francisco Cordero came on and walked Pat Burrell before getting Geoff Jenkins to ground out to end the threat.
Phillips led off the ninth with a single, stole second, and scored on another Votto double, this one down the left field line, for an insurance run.
The Reds didn't need the insurance, however, as Cordero threw a 1-2-3 ninth to seal the two-hit shutout with his 12th save.
Both pitchers dominated early, with neither team recording a hit until Howard singled with one out in the fourth. Jenkins hit a two-out single to put two men on, but Pedro Feliz popped out to second to end the frame.
Myers retired the first 13 batters in order until he issued a one-out walk to Dunn in the fourth. Dunn was left hanging out to dry on a blown hit-and-run, and was thrown out, which became important when Myers walked the next two batters. He fanned Paul Bako to get out the of inning, though.
The Phillies loaded the bases with two outs in the fifth, but Howard flied out to left to end the threat.
"We couldn't get a big hit off him," said Phillies manager Charlie Manuel of Volquez. "We had a few chances to score some runs, we just couldn't get a big hit."
Game Notes
Utley saw his streak of nine straight games with an RBI come to an end. The Phillies club record is 10 straight games...Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb was at the ballpark before the game, and took batting practice with the Phillies...The Reds won for the first time in 17 games this season when scoring three or less runs.
