Major League Baseball
Phillies 12, Reds 5
Major League Baseball

Phillies 12, Reds 5

Published Aug. 21, 2012 4:01 a.m. ET

With offense like this, Roy Halladay doesn't have to be his old self.

John Mayberry Jr. hit a two-run homer and Ryan Howard and Erik Kratz had solo shots to back Halladay, helping the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Cincinnati Reds 12-5 on Monday night.

Halladay (7-7) wasn't sharp, allowing five runs and 10 hits in seven innings. But the offense bailed out the two-time Cy Young Award winner.

''It's always kind of ironic when you think you're not catching breaks, we put up a bunch of runs,'' Halladay said. ''That was one of our best offensive games of the year from the standpoint it seemed everybody was involved and it wasn't one or two guys.''

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Domonic Brown hit a go-ahead two-run double off Mike Leake (5-8) in a four-run fifth. Mayberry had three hits and three RBIs, Chase Utley, Howard and Kratz each drove in two and Juan Pierre had three hits and three runs.

The Phillies have won seven straight over the Reds and 12 of 13, dating to 2010. This was their first meeting this season.

''Our hitting was good, did some things right,'' Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. ''Just about everybody hit.''

The NL-Central leading Reds lost for just the third time in 11 games.

The five-time defending NL East champions have won three straight, but are eight games under .500.

After the Reds took a 5-4 lead in the fifth, the Phillies answered in the bottom half.

Pierre singled and scored on Utley's RBI double. After Howard was intentionally walked, Mayberry ripped an RBI single to tie it. Brown followed with a shot down the line that scored two to chase Leake and give Philadelphia a 7-5 lead.

Leake allowed seven runs and 10 hits in 4 1-3 innings.

''The goal is to keep the lead, but they hit me well,'' Leake said.

Utley hit a sacrifice fly in the sixth and Mayberry connected off Jose Arredondo to extend the lead to 10-5.

''I saw the ball pretty well and always helps to get good pitches to hit,'' Mayberry said. ''Just getting in there and getting your timing together is always going to help you.''

The Reds loaded the bases in the first on three straight singles to start the game. Jay Bruce then ripped a line-drive double off the right-field wall that should've scored two. But Chris Heisey stopped after rounding third and was tagged out at the plate.

Scott Rolen's RBI groundout made it 2-0.

Pierre hit a double, stole third and scored on Howard's two-out single to cut it to 2-1 in the bottom half.

Howard drove one way out to right to tie it at 2 in the third. Kratz went deep to left-center to make it 3-2 in the fourth.

Kratz has seven homers in 61 at-bats. The 32-year-old local boy has turned into a fan favorite in his first extended action in the big leagues after 11 seasons in the minors. Filling in for All-Star catcher Carlos Ruiz, Kratz is hitting .295 with more extra-bases (13) than singles (5).

''Kratz is doing a tremendous job,'' Manuel said.

Cincinnati scored three runs with two outs in the fifth on Heisey's RBI double, Bruce's RBI single and a botched rundown that allowed Phillips to score after Bruce was picked off first.

NOTES: Rolen played his 2,000th career game at third base. As usual, he was booed by Phillies fans who still haven't forgiven him for demanding a trade in 2002. ... Bruce was 3 for 3 to extend his hitting streak to nine games. He's 16 for 35 in those games. ... Jimmy Rollins snapped an 0-for-20 slump with a sixth-inning double. ... Philadelphia's Antonio Bastardo had two strikeouts in the eighth in his first appearance since Aug. 8. ... LHP Cliff Lee (2-7, 3.83) seeks his first home win this season Tuesday night against Reds RHP Homer Bailey (10-8, 4.16).

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Follow Rob Maaddi on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobMaaddi

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