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GAME LOG
CINCINNATI (AP) -- Rob Bell is just trying to keep his job.
Dumped from the starting rotation after failing to complete the
second inning a week ago, the rookie pitched his first complete
game Wednesday night as the Cincinnati Reds beat the Chicago Cubs,
13-3.
"I'm just pitching for an invite to spring training at this
point," Bell said.
Benito Santiago and Alex Ochoa had four hits apiece as the Reds
made Bell's life easier with 16 hits.
"I was frustrated yesterday not getting the ball. It hurt to be
bumped," Bell said.
Osvaldo Fernandez got the start instead of Bell on Tuesday, but
Bell got another chance when Scott Williamson had to be scratched
from the rotation with two broken toes. After giving up a run in
each of the first two innings, Bell shut out Chicago until the
eighth.
"I think the first two innings the energy was there that I was
pitching for something," Bell said. "I said to a couple of guys,
'I feel nervous, like I'm pitching for a job here.' "
Santiago, who had a two-run homer and four RBI, said Bell
settled down at that point.
"Once he got the lead, he calmed down and relaxed," Santiago
said. "His changeup was very effective, and his breaking ball was
going good once he loosened up instead of trying to do too much."
Bell (7-7) allowed six hits, walked three and struck out six. In
his last outing, against the New York Mets, Bell walked four and
gave up five runs in 1 1/3 innings.
"He had a shaky first, but he settled down and got command of
the situation," said Reds manager Jack McKeon. "He pitched a very
good ballgame."
The Reds batted around in the third, scoring four runs, to chase
Jamie Arnold (0-3), who allowed five runs on seven hits and a walk
in 2 2/3 innings.
Arnold, who was called up from Triple-A Iowa on Aug. 14,
appeared to be on the verge of suffering the same fate as Bell did
a week ago.
"He's had the opportunity," Cubs manager Don Baylor said. "If
guys don't take advantage of it, you go to the next guy."
Chicago took a 1-0 lead in the first when Eric Young walked,
stole second, advanced to third on Ricky Gutierrez' sacrifice bunt
and scored on Sammy Sosa's double to left field.
Shane Andrews led off the second with his 11th homer, his first
since May 11 after being on the disabled list more than three
months with a herniated disk that required surgery.
"Then a two-nothing lead turns into a fiasco," Baylor said.
Santiago doubled in a run in the second to make it 2-1.
Cincinnati scored four in the third on single by Sean Casey, a
double by Dmitri Young, a single by Ochoa and Chris Stynes'
sacrifice fly.
Pokey Reese scored on Casey's sacrifice fly in the fourth, and
the Reds added three in the fifth on a single by Santiago, Juan
Castro's ground out and a single by Michael Tucker.
Ochoa got his fourth single in the sixth and Stynes homered, his
eighth, off Steve Rain. Santiago got his fourth hit, a two-run
sixth homer, in the eighth off Felix Heredia.
Game notes
Eric Young notched his 52nd stolen base of the season and
26th in a row since he was last thrown out. That left him one shy
of his career high with Colorado in 1996. ... Sosa was 2-for-3,
including an infield hit, but hasn't homered since Monday. He has a
major-league high 49 homers and needs just one to join Babe
Ruth and Mark McGwire as the only players with more than two
50-homer seasons. ... Cincinnati runners stole four bases for the
third time this season. ... The Reds' team physician will watch
Williamson throw on the side Friday to see if he can return to the
rotation next week. Williamson banged into a door in his home
Monday night and broke two toes on his right foot.
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