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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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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. 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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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Cincinnati Clubhouse
Colorado Clubhouse
Yankees find way to finagle Neagle in blockbuster
Big Mac off track: McGwire goes on 15-day DL
RECAPS
San Diego 2
Seattle 1
Cleveland 4
Pittsburgh 3
Boston 4
NY Mets 3
Detroit 8
Houston 2
Florida 11
NY Yankees 9
Philadelphia 8
Toronto 5
Tampa Bay 6
Montreal 4
Atlanta 6
Baltimore 3
St. Louis 13
Chi. White Sox 5
Milwaukee 5
Kansas City 2
Minnesota 5
Chicago Cubs 1
Texas 6
Arizona 4
Los Angeles 4
Anaheim 3
San Francisco 4
Oakland 2
Cincinnati 15
Colorado 6
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Things got a little ugly for Larry Walker in the 8th.
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