DENVER -- Homer Bailey wouldn't read too much into one solid outing.
Still, it was a big step in the right direction for the right-hander whose career has been riddled by arm injuries.
Bailey went six effective innings for his first win since Aug. 12, Billy Hamilton had a two-out, two-run single after missing a game with a bothersome back and the Cincinnati Reds beat the Colorado Rockies 8-1 on Tuesday night.
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"You just keep grinding away," Bailey said.
Bailey (1-2) scattered eight hits in the longest of his three starts this season. He was on the disabled list until June 24 as he recovered from offseason surgery to remove bone spurs in his pitching elbow. He's still working his way back into form.
The 31-year-old Bailey has been limited to 11 starts since 2015 due to an assortment of arm surgeries.
"He missed a lot of time," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "When he's on, he's a good matchup. He can beat anybody."
In his first two starts this season, Bailey allowed 14 runs in 4 2/3 innings. He had plenty of traffic on the bases against Colorado, but worked his way out of trouble as he lowered his ERA from 27.00 to 12.66.
Back to his old self?
"That's the thing about baseball -- as soon as you think something is going the right way, it stops, or you think it's going the wrong way, and it ends," Price said. "We just let the season play itself out. That's the safe way to go."
Jose Peraza, Scott Schebler and pinch-hitter Scooter Gennett added homers for the Reds, who have won three of their last 18 road games.
Rockies lefty Kyle Freeland (8-7) struggled early before settling down. He gave up five runs over 5 1/3 innings in his third straight loss.
"I think the line probably looks a little worse than how he pitched," manager Bud Black said. "He got a couple pitches up later in the game."
Hamilton quickly rebounded from a stiff lower back. Price said his speedy outfielder arrived at the park early Tuesday, took some treatment, hit in the cage and was pronounced fit to play. Hamilton had two hits, including his two-run single in the second to make it 3-1, and was robbed of another on an over-the-shoulder catch by Rockies second baseman Alexi Amarista.
In the third inning, Peraza's blooper dropped in for a run-scoring single after left fielder Raimel Tapia momentarily hesitated. Possibly sensing some frustration from Freeland, Black sauntered to the mound, told everyone to stay away and had a one-on-one conversation with his pitcher.
Whatever Black said -- he wouldn't elaborate -- momentarily did the trick. Freeland retired eight straight, including a diving catch by Tapia, before Peraza's homer in the sixth.
"My command is not where it needs to be," Freeland said.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Rockies: 2B DJ LeMahieu (groin) was given the night off. "It's a good break for him," Black said.
BETTIS UPDATE
Rockies RHP Chad Bettis threw 30 pitches in the bullpen, eight warmup tosses and then 25 more during a batting practice session Tuesday as he continues his comeback from treatment for testicular cancer.
"It's nice to be talking about mechanics again instead of how my strength is, how I'm recovering, stuff like that," said Bettis, who went through his final round of chemotherapy in May. "I feel back."
Bettis will throw batting practice again this weekend and then may head out for a rehab assignment.
THIS & THAT
Cincinnati's two All-Stars, Zack Cozart and Joey Votto, were a combined 0 for 10. ... The Reds scored six runs with two outs. ... Gennett has 14 homers this season to tie a career high.
POWER SHORTAGE
The Rockies had 10 hits -- all singles.
"We need five or six guys swinging the bat well. We do not have that now," Black said.
UP NEXT
Reds: RHP Scott Feldman will take the mound Wednesday. He leads the team in wins (7), innings pitched (97 2/3), strikeouts (80) and quality starts (9).
Rockies: RHP Jon Gray (1-0, 3.93 ERA) makes his second start since returning from a broken bone in his left foot.
---
More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball




Final
Series: Game 2 of 4

Reds 8

(36-47, 13-27 away)

Rockies 1

(49-37, 23-16 home)





8:10PM,EDT,July 4,2017
Coors Field, Denver,Colorado 

123456789 R H E
CIN 121001030 8 10 0
COL 100000000 1 10 0
W: H. Bailey (1-2)
L: K. Freeland (8-7)





View: Play-By-Play | Pitch-By-PitchInning: All | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
Cincinnati - Top of 1stSCORE
Kyle Freeland pitching for ColoradoCINCOL
Hamilton singled to left.00
Cozart flied out to right.00
Votto grounded out to first, Hamilton to second.00
Duvall doubled to deep right, Hamilton scored.10
Suárez grounded out to third.10
1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors
Colorado - Bottom of 1stSCORE
Homer Bailey pitching for CincinnatiCINCOL
Blackmon grounded out to second.10
Tapia singled to right.10
Arenado singled to left, Tapia to third.10
González singled to right, Tapia scored, Arenado to second.11
Reynolds grounded into double play, shortstop to first, González out at second.11
1 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors
Cincinnati - Top of 2ndSCORE
Kyle Freeland pitching for ColoradoCINCOL
Schebler doubled to right.11
Peraza fouled out to right, Schebler to third.11
Barnhart walked.11
Bailey sacrificed to catcher, Barnhart to second.11
Hamilton singled to left, Schebler and Barnhart scored.31
Cozart grounded out to pitcher.31
2 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors
Colorado - Bottom of 2ndSCORE
Homer Bailey pitching for CincinnatiCINCOL
Story flied out to left.31
Amarista singled to deep right.31
Amarista picked off first.31
Wolters struck out swinging.31
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
Cincinnati - Top of 3rdSCORE
Kyle Freeland pitching for ColoradoCINCOL
Votto flied out to left.31
Duvall grounded out to third.31
Suárez singled to deep right center.31
Schebler reached on infield single to shortstop, Suárez to second.31
Peraza singled to left, Suárez scored, Schebler to second.41
Barnhart grounded out to second.41
1 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors
Colorado - Bottom of 3rdSCORE
Homer Bailey pitching for CincinnatiCINCOL
Freeland struck out swinging.41
Blackmon lined out to center.41
Tapia grounded out to second.41
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Cincinnati - Top of 4thSCORE
Kyle Freeland pitching for ColoradoCINCOL
Bailey grounded out to shortstop.41
Hamilton popped out to second.41
Cozart flied out to left.41
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Colorado - Bottom of 4thSCORE
Homer Bailey pitching for CincinnatiCINCOL
Arenado reached on infield single to second.41
González singled to left, Arenado to second.41
Reynolds flied out to center.41
Arenado to third, González to second on wild pitch by Bailey.41
Story struck out swinging.41
Amarista grounded out to second.41
0 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors
Cincinnati - Top of 5thSCORE
Kyle Freeland pitching for ColoradoCINCOL
Votto struck out swinging.41
Duvall flied out to center.41
Suárez lined out to left.41
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Colorado - Bottom of 5thSCORE
Homer Bailey pitching for CincinnatiCINCOL
Wolters grounded out to second.41
Freeland grounded out to second.41
Blackmon singled to center.41
Tapia lined out to center.41
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
Cincinnati - Top of 6thSCORE
Kyle Freeland pitching for ColoradoCINCOL
Schebler grounded out to shortstop.41
Peraza homered to left (445 feet), .51
Barnhart walked.51
Lyles relieved Freeland.51
Bailey sacrificed to first, Barnhart to second.51
Hamilton struck out swinging.51
1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
Colorado - Bottom of 6thSCORE
Homer Bailey pitching for CincinnatiCINCOL
Arenado popped out to second.51
González grounded out to first.51
Reynolds singled to left center.51
Story popped out to first.51
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
Cincinnati - Top of 7thSCORE
Jordan Lyles pitching for ColoradoCINCOL
Cozart popped out to first.51
Votto grounded out to third.51
Duvall fouled out to first.51
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Colorado - Bottom of 7thSCORE
Wandy Peralta pitching for CincinnatiCINCOL
Peralta relieved Bailey.51
Amarista flied out to left.51
Wolters struck out swinging.51
Valaika hit for Lyles.51
Valaika struck out looking.51
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Cincinnati - Top of 8thSCORE
Adam Ottavino pitching for ColoradoCINCOL
Ottavino relieved Lyles.51
Suárez struck out looking.51
Schebler homered to center (439 feet).61
Peraza grounded out to third.61
Barnhart walked.61
Gennett hit for Peralta.61
Gennett homered to right (404 feet), Barnhart scored.81
Hamilton walked.81
Cozart grounded out to second.81
3 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors
Colorado - Bottom of 8thSCORE
Michael Lorenzen pitching for CincinnatiCINCOL
Lorenzen relieved Peralta.81
Blackmon flied out to left.81
Tapia singled to deep left.81
Tapia to second on wild pitch by Lorenzen.81
Arenado flied out to center, Tapia to third.81
González struck out swinging.81
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
Cincinnati - Top of 9thSCORE
Mike Dunn pitching for ColoradoCINCOL
Dunn relieved Ottavino.81
Votto grounded out to second.81
Duvall grounded out to shortstop.81
Suárez grounded out to third.81
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Colorado - Bottom of 9thSCORE
Asher Wojciechowski pitching for CincinnatiCINCOL
Wojciechowski relieved Lorenzen.81
Reynolds singled to center.81
Story struck out swinging.81
Amarista struck out swinging.81
Wolters grounded out to first.81
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors




Cincinnati Reds
HittersABRHRBIBBSO#PAVGOBPSLG
Hamilton CF41221119.243.297.321
Cozart SS50000017.313.394.541
Votto 1B50000113.312.421.617
Duvall LF50110013.279.324.555
Suárez 3B51100118.253.358.441
Schebler RF42310017.255.333.533
Peraza 2B41220015.253.278.339
Barnhart C12003027.279.344.395
Bailey P1000006.000.000.000
0000000.000.000.000
a-Gennett PH
1112005.314.361.608
0000000.143.143.571
0000000.000.000.000
Totals35810843150   
a-homered to right for W Peralta in the 8th
BATTING
2B: Duvall (24, Freeland); Schebler (13, Freeland)
HR: Peraza (4, 6th inning off Freeland 0 on, 1 Out); Schebler (21, 8th inning off Ottavino 0 on, 1 Out); Gennett (14, 8th inning off Ottavino 1 on, 2 Out)
RBI: Duvall (59), Hamilton 2 (22), Peraza 2 (26), Schebler (41), Gennett 2 (45)
S: Bailey 2
2-out RBI: Duvall, Hamilton 2, Peraza, Gennett 2
Reds RISP: 3-7 (Barnhart 0-1, Duvall 1-1, Suárez 0-1, Hamilton 1-2, Peraza 1-2)
Team LOB: 6
FIELDING
DP: 1 (Cozart-Votto).

Game Information

StadiumCoors Field, Denver, CO
Attendance48,338 (95.9% full) - % is based on regular season capacity
Game Time2:58
Weather84 degrees, partly cloudy
Wind8 mph
UmpiresHome Plate - Bill Miller, First Base - Kerwin Danley, Second Base - Adam Hamari, Third Base - Todd Tichenor