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Taveras leads Reds in offensive explosion against Diamondbacks

Cincinnati Reds' Willy Taveras (3) connects on his fifth hit of the game as Arizona Diamondbacks' Chris Snyder eyes the ball in the seventh inning during a baseball game Monday, May 11, 2009, in Phoenix. The Reds defeated the Diamondbacks 13-5.

Associated Press photo by Ross D. Franklin Cincinnati Reds' Willy Taveras (3) connects on his fifth hit of the game as Arizona Diamondbacks' Chris Snyder eyes the ball in the seventh inning during a baseball game Monday, May 11, 2009, in Phoenix. The Reds defeated the Diamondbacks 13-5.

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By Hal McCoy, Staff Writer Updated 2:09 AM Tuesday, May 12, 2009

PHOENIX — Willy Taveras covered 1,620 feet in Chase Field Monday night — and that was just on the basepaths.

He was the grand marshal of the biggest run parade of the season for the Cincinnati Reds — five hits and four runs — as the Arizona Diamondbacks were turned into harmless and meek garter snakes, 13-5.

The beneficiary of the 18-hit attack that included eight extra base hits and back-to-back home runs by Laynce Nix and Adam Rosales was Bronson Arroyo.

Is there any other pitcher in the majors with a 5-2 record and a 7.02 earned run average? He gave up five runs and 10 hits over seven innings that included three home runs.

Didn’t matter. Taveras and the offense made it happen, as it has done since May began after a sluggish offense in April.

“I knew these guys would hit because we work on it a lot,” said manager Dusty Baker. “Our pitching carried us the first month and hopefully our hitting is here to stay and we can use both our hitting and pitching.”

Taveras who is one on a hard work program under the tutelage of hitting coach Brook Jacoby.

“Jake has been working with Taveras tirelessly, changing his stroke little by little and getting some timing,” said Baker. “You see he is driving the ball now — not in the air as much or on the ground.”

Said Jacoby, “Willy is a good athlete and he is getting back to doing the things he did before. We worked hard on it in spring training and he has carried it over and is doing a good job.”

It was a team rampage with Rosales banging three hits that included two doubles with his home run and he scored three times.

Jerry Hairston Jr. had two doubles, a walk and scored twice.

Hairston loves hitting behind Taveras, a speedy 1-2 punch.

“He’s been huge, especially the last seven, eight games,” said Hairston. “Four runs? Wow. That’s huge. He is great in the clubhouse, too. A very positive guy.

“With him on base, so many things can happen,” Hairston added. “I get more fastballs, which doesn’t hurt. Holes open up. And if you hit the ball in the gap, you know he can score.”

Of the offensive jolt the past two weeks, Hairston said, “April is not conducive to hitting because pitchers are ahead of the hitters and it’s cold. We know we have quality players that can hit. And having the pitchers we have helps, too, because we know, hey, we just need to score four or five or six runs and we have a chance to win ballgames.”

Arroyo isn’t too proud to take the 5-2 record with a 7.02 earned run average. To him it’s better than 2-5 with a 1.02 ERA.

“It has been a funny year for me so far — four of my five wins on the road and my ERA is way up,” said Arroyo. “I think I have more wins at this point than any other year except maybe ‘06 (Boston). I’ll take what they give you and if they give me wins, I’ll take them. There have been a couple of years here where I’ve been lights out early and been 2-4.”

The Reds loaded the bases with no outs in the first, but scored only one run and it looked as if their offense might melt in the 100-degree heat.

That was erased in the third inning when Arroyo started a three-run rally with a single. Taveras drove in one with a bunt single and Hairston drove in two more with a double.

The Reds hadn’t hit back-to-back home runs all year until Laynce Nix and Adam Rosales combined to do it as the first two batters in the fourth. And the Reds added a run in that inning on a Taveras single and Joey Votto’s double.

Arizona scored two in the third and two in the fifth and were within 7-4 until the Reds broke it apart in the sixth with four more runs.

Rosales doubled and scored on Taveras' fourth hit, Taveras scored his fourth run on Votto’s hit and Phillips singled for another.

Votto scored on a wild pitch and the 17,640 raucously booed their home forces.

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