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  Thursday, Jul. 13 9:05pm ET
Colorado's losing streak at eight
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME LOG

DENVER (AP) -- Given just three hours notice, Elmer Dessens accomplished quite a bit in his second start of the season.

Ken Griffey Jr. hit a pair of two-run homers and Dessens pitched a career-high 7 1-3 innings as the Cincinnati Reds beat the Colorado Rockies 15-6 on Thursday night.

Ken Griffey Jr.
Ken Griffey Jr. watches the flight of his two-run home run on a pitch from Colorado Rockies starter Pedro Astacio in the first inning at Coors Field on Thursday.

Dessens (2-0) also got caught in the middle of a beanball battle, hitting Colorado star Larry Walker three innings after Griffey was drilled in the back by Rockies starter Pedro Astacio (7-6).

"I don't want to get hit, and I don't think anybody else wants to get hit," said Griffey, whose 30 homers tied St. Louis' Mark McGwire for the major league lead. "It's a baseball game, not a battle of who can hit the most players."

Walker walked toward Dessens after being grazed in the eighth inning, and Rockies manager Buddy Bell was ejected while arguing with umpire Dana DeMuth.

"I think (Dessens) went after (Todd) Helton the inning before and missed him," Walker said. "I was the next target.

"If I didn't have a bummed-up elbow, I probably would have went out to the mound. I've always said that guys are cowards that actually walk halfway there and point their bat but don't go out. I just did that."

Neither Bell nor Reds manager Jack McKeon wanted to comment on the controversy, but Cincinnati shortstop Barry Larkin surprisingly came to Walker's defense.

"If I was Walker I would be pissed off, too," Larkin said. "He had no business hitting Walker. There was no explanation for it. We just needed to play the game. Hitting Walker was uncalled for."

Meanwhile, Griffey scored four times and recorded his 45th career multihomer game -- his fifth this season. Larkin, Sean Casey and Pokey Reese added homers as the Reds extended Colorado's season-worst losing streak to eight.

"We're having trouble throwing the first punch," Bell said. "We're really getting behind early. Hopefully we can change that. We are very capable of playing very well. I expect for us to do that very shortly."

Staked to a big lead early, Dessens gave up six runs and nine hits. He didn't allow a runner past first base until Helton doubled with one out in the fifth.

Through interpreter Dennys Reyes, Dessens denied hitting Walker intentionally and said he was surprised at the reaction.

"I didn't think that was going to happen," he said. "I guess it was the heat of the battle."

Astacio struggled from the start, allowing Griffey's 29th homer of the season in the first. Astacio matched a career high by surrendering 10 earned runs in six innings as the Rockies fell to 28-10 at home.

The Reds made it 6-0 in the third on Dante Bichette's RBI single and a two-out, bases-loaded triple by Dmitri Young. The rally began when Dessens singled for his third career hit.

Casey added a two-run homer in the fifth, and Larkin hit a two-run shot in the sixth. Reese hit a two-run homer in the ninth.

Colorado finally broke through against Dessens in the seventh as Jeffrey Hammonds and Brent Mayne had RBI singles and Neifi Perez hit a sacrifice fly.

Griffey hit a long home run to center field off Julian Tavarez in the eighth, and the Rockies responded with Helton's two-run double and Mayne's RBI groundout in their half.

Reds third baseman Chris Stynes was 3-for-4, scoring four runs. Stynes reinforced his status as the top hitter in Coors Field history. Stynes is 29-for-55 (.527) at Coors.

Game notes
For the second time this season, Bell managed against a son. He faced David Bell when the Rockies played the Seattle Mariners, and looked across the field at Mike Bell on Thursday. Mike Bell is still seeking his major league debut for the Reds. ... Rockies 3B Jeff Cirillo held a pregame news conference to announce a four-year contract extension that includes a team option for 2006. He went 2-for-3 with two runs scored. ... Bichette played for the first time since July 5. He missed three straight games with a bruised left shin. ... Larkin ended a 15-game RBI drought. ... Griffey's first homer was his 427th, moving him past Billy Williams into 26th on the career list.
 


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 Things got a little ugly for Larry Walker in the 8th.
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