Reds win ninth straight

DENVER (AP) - Johnny Cueto withstood a rough start to pitch effectively for six innings, Ryan Ludwick hit two home runs, and the Cincinnati Reds won their season-high ninth straight by beating the Colorado Rockies 9-7 on Saturday night.

   Scott Rolen, Drew Stubbs and rookie Todd Frazier also homered for the NL Central leading Reds, who have gone 13-2 since the All-Star break and hit a high-water mark for the season at 20 games above .500 (60-40).

   The winning streak is the longest for the Reds since a 10-game run in 1999.

   Cueto (13-5) allowed 10 hits and five runs, including three in the first inning, and twice had errant pickoff throws but managed to keep the ball in the park in hitter-friendly Coors Field to win his fourth consecutive decision. He struck out three and walked two and worked out of a two-out, bases-loaded jam in the sixth by inducing Dexter Fowler to ground into a forceout.

   With two out and two on in the eighth, reliever Sean Marshall struck out Carlos Gonzalez. Aroldis Chapman pitched the ninth, stranding two base runners by fanning pinch-hitter Andrew Brown for the final out for his 21st save in 25 chances.

   Michael Cuddyer connected for his 15th homer of the season, a two-run shot in the seventh off reliever Jose Arredondo that made it 8-7. Ludwick added another run for the Reds when he led off the eighth with a homer off Matt Belisle, his second of the night for his third multihomer game of the season and 15th of his career.

   Rockies pitchers were tagged for a season-high five homers, including three off starter Christian Friedrich (5-8). He went 4 1-3 innings and allowed seven runs overall on six hits.

   The Rockies got out to a 3-0 lead in the first on Gonzalez's two-run double and Todd Helton's sacrifice fly.

   Ludwick and Frazier each hit solo shots in the second and Stubbs' third-inning homer evened the score at 3-3.

   The Rockies regained the lead in the bottom of the third. Josh Rutledge singled, took second when Cueto threw wildly to first in an attempted pickoff, and moved to third on Gonzalez's single before scoring on Cuddyer's double-play grounder.

   Frazier singled to start Cincinnati's four-run fifth. Ryan Hanigan walked and Cueto advanced them with a sacrifice before Zack Cozart's single tied it again. Stubbs put the Reds back on top with a single to left that chased Friedrich. Josh Roenicke relieved, and Brandon Phillips greeted him with a two-run double to the center field wall.

   After Fowler scored on a fielder's choice by Gonzalez that pulled the Rockies to 7-5, Rolen led off the sixth with his fifth home run of the season.

   NOTES: The Rockies recalled INF Tommy Field from Triple-A Colorado Springs to fill the roster spot left vacant by Friday's trade of INF Marco Scutaro to the San Francisco Giants. ... Rockies RHP Jhoulys Chacin, who has been on the disabled list since May 2 with a shoulder inflammation, is scheduled to throw 45-50 pitches Sunday for Class A Modesto in his first rehab start. ... Frazier's 11 homers are the second most by a Reds' rookie third baseman, matching Chris Sabo's total in 1988. Grady Hatton hit 14 for the Reds in 1946