Cincinnati, OH (Sports Network) - It was an impactful return to the lineup for Jay Bruce, as the Cincinnati outfielder homered in each of his first two-bats to power the Reds to a 7-2 win over Arizona in the opener of a four-game series at Great American Ball Park.
Bruce, who had missed the last 12 games with a pain in his right side, finished 3-for-4 with four RBI and accounted for two of the five home runs Cincinnati belted off Arizona pitching.
With the win, the Reds (82-62) clinched their first winning season since 2000 and increased their lead over St. Louis in the NL Central to 6 1/2 games. The Cardinals are currently playing the Cubs.
Cincinnati starter Bronson Arroyo (15-10) worked six innings, allowing seven hits and two runs, which came on back-to-back homers by Miguel Montero and Ryan Church to begin the second. Arroyo recorded a season-high eight strikeouts and did not walk a batter. The right-hander also matched his career high for wins in a single season, which he reached in each of the past two years.
It was a brief outing for Diamondbacks rookie Barry Enright (6-4) after he allowed seven hits -- four of which became souvenirs -- in just three innings.