Reds ride Griffey HR, five-run first to rout of Brewers

CINCINNATI (AP) -- Back home at Great American Ball Park, the Cincinnati Reds quickly started hitting.

Ken Griffey Jr.'s three-run homer got Cincinnati rolling in a five-run first inning Monday night, and the Reds set a season high for scoring to back Bronson Arroyo in a 15-5 rout of the Milwaukee Brewers.

One day after Cincinnati lost 1-0 at Detroit, Austin Kearns added a two-run shot to help Arroyo (6-2) rebound from a rocky start in Pittsburgh last Wednesday. David Ross set a career high with four RBI, Brandon Phillips had a career-high four hits and Adam Dunn also homered.

"I haven't been here long enough to tell, but it seems like the guys like to hit in this ballpark," said Arroyo, acquired from Boston during spring training.

Arroyo, who was 0-2 and had allowed 26 hits in 20 innings over his last three starts, gave up one run and six hits in seven innings to lower his NL-best ERA to 2.29. The right-hander improved to 3-0 with a 0.58 ERA this season when he faces a team for the second time.

"He does what he always does -- he competed," said Ross, another spring training acquisition who has caught all 10 of Arroyo's starts this season. "I think he had the sharpest stuff he's had for the last two or three outings."

Arroyo admitted to being anxious to get back out on the mound after the Pirates tagged him for nine hits and four runs in six innings of a 7-2 loss.

"I was, especially with an extra day's rest," he said. "You don't get to enjoy those too often. I was anxious to get out there today and have a good one."

The Reds set their previous season high for runs in a 12-8 win at Milwaukee on April 20. Their 15 runs Monday were their most since a 17-3 win over Arizona last Aug. 19.

"They're never laughers, but it's nice to score that many runs," Cincinnati manager Jerry Narron said. "You give Bronson five runs, and he knows what to do. He knows how to hold it."

Griffey gave the Reds a 3-0 lead with a 407-foot shot to center off starter David Bush, Griffey's fifth homer this season and second in three games. The home run was the 541st for Griffey, seven short of tying Mike Schmidt for 11th place on the career list.

Bush (3-5) became the 345th pitcher to give up a homer to Griffey

After Dunn walked, Kearns hit an opposite-field homer to right for his ninth of the season.

Milwaukee scored in the second on doubles by Prince Fielder and Corey Koskie, but the Reds loaded the bases with two outs in the third and Ross drove in two runs with a soft line drive down the left-field line.

Dunn hit his 16th homer, a three-run drive to center, and Ross added his second two-run double as the Reds sent 10 batters to the plate in a six-run sixth.

"My offense was just a little bleep on the map with all these guys," Ross said.

Bush, who threw a shutout against the Reds in an 11-0 win on April 22 at Milwaukee, gave up seven hits and seven runs with six strikeouts in four innings, his shortest outing in 10 starts this season. He matched his season high with three walks while falling to 1-4 in his last six starts.

"I felt good warming up," Bush said. "I didn't throw good pitches. I wish I had some answers for you. I've struggled the last three or four starts. We all have things we need to work on. I'll do something different next time."

Bill Hall homered for Milwaukee leading off the ninth, extending his hitting streak to a career-best 11 games.

Game notes
Griffey's three RBI gave him 1,557, moving him past Willie McCovey into 28th place on the career list. He needs 18 to tie Sammy Sosa for 27th. ... The extra-base hit was the 1,011th of Griffey's career, matching Rogers Hornsby for 23rd place. Schmidt is 22nd with 1,015. ... Brewers CF Brady Clark batted second for only the second time this season. His steal of second in the first inning was his first stolen base of the season. ... Ross has 12 RBI. His career high is 18 with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2003.