The Associated Press

Elmer Dessens pitched six strong innings, and Michael Tucker hit a tiebreaking RBI double in the sixth to lead the Cincinnati Reds to their ninth straight road win, 9-4 over Colorado on Saturday.

Saturday, April 28, 2001

Elmer Dessens pitched six strong innings, and Michael Tucker hit a tiebreaking RBI double in the sixth to lead the Cincinnati Reds to their ninth straight road win, 9-4 over Colorado on Saturday.

The win for the Reds, coupled with the Chicago’s 5-0 loss at San Francisco, moved Cincinnati into a first-place tie with the Cubs. Both teams’ records stand at 14-9.

Dessens (2-1) allowed four runs, eight hits, struck out two and walked three in winning for the first time in four starts and leading the Reds to their fifth straight win.

Tucker was 2-for-5 with three RBIs, Barry Larkin had two hits and two runs scored, and Alex Ochoa had three hits and an RBI for the Reds, whose road winning streak is the longest since they put together a 10-game road winning run in 1998.

The Reds scored four runs in the ninth on Ruben Rivera’s RBI single, Sean Casey’s bases-loaded walk and Tucker two-run single.

With the game tied 4-4, Larkin singled to center off Kane Davis (0-1) and Tucker followed with a double to give Cincinnati the lead for good.

Todd Walker and Ben Petrick each hit two-run homers for the Rockies, who lost their third straight.

The Reds took a 2-0 lead in the third inning on Ochoa’s two-out RBI single. Ochoa scored the second run of the inning when Larry Walker knocked the ball out Juan Pierre’s glove in short center field on a fly ball hit by Aaron Boone that allowed Ochoa to score.

Colorado tied it 2-2 when Pierre reached on a bunt single leading off the third and Todd Walker followed with a home run into the second deck in right field.

Pokey Reese doubled past Pierre in center and Jason LaRue’s RBI single in the fourth gave the Reds a 3-2 lead.

Petrick hit a two-run homer into the Colorado bullpen in the bottom of the fourth to put the Rockies ahead 4-3.

Ron Villone walked Rivera with the bases loaded in the fifth to tie it 4-4.

Notes: Cincinnati manager Bob Boone and his son, third baseman Aaron, were ejected. Bob was thrown out in the fifth inning by plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt for arguing a non-balk call, and Aaron in the sixth for disputing a third-strike ruling. … The Reds avoided being shut out for an NL record 186th consecutive game, a streak dates to Al Leiter’s two-hit shutout on the final game of the 1999 regular season. … Todd Walker’s third-inning homer ended a 20-inning stretch without a homer at Coors Field.