Bronson Arroyo pitched Cincinnati’s first complete game of the season and Ryan Hanigan hit a solo homer that would have probably drawn an instant replay review in the Reds’ 2-1 win over the Houston Astros on Tuesday night.
Hanigan broke the tie in the eighth with a one-out homer off Geoff Geary that bounced off the facade in left center, just above the yellow line. Second-base umpire Ted Barrett made the home run signal and Houston manager Cecil Cooper came out to talk to him.
Baseball announced Tuesday it will start using video to clarify “boundary calls,” including whether fly balls went over the fence, but the system won’t start until Thursday. All Cooper could do in this one was protest to no avail.
Arroyo (12-10) allowed five hits and struck out three for his first complete game since May 16, 2007. Arroyo snapped a four-game losing streak to Houston when Lance Berkman flied out to center for the last out.
Geary (2-3) relieved Houston starter Wandy Rodriguez, who had a career-high 10 strikeouts and allowed three hits over seven innings.
Both starters breezed through the first three innings without allowing a hit. Rodriguez struck out four and Arroyo two.
Chris Dickerson got the game’s first hit when he led off the fourth with a single up the middle. Jeff Keppinger lined Rodriguez’s next pitch into the left-field corner for a double.
With Houston’s infield in, Brandon Phillips hit a hard grounder to first that Berkman dived to stop. Berkman beat Phillips to the base, but Dickerson scored to put the Reds up 1-0.
Miguel Tejada singled with one out in the Houston fourth. Berkman struck out on a 3-2 pitch and Hanigan threw out Tejada trying to steal second for a double play.
Rodriguez had retired nine consecutive Reds after Keppinger grounded out to end the sixth. Bourn singled to left with one out in the bottom of the inning, but Tejada grounded into a double play.
Rodriguez struck out Phillips looking leading off the seventh. Joey Votto singled to right, but Rodriguez fanned Edwin Encarnacion for his ninth strikeout, tying his career high. Jay Bruce then swung and missed at a curveball, striking out for the third time.
Berkman blooped a single to left leading off the seventh. Phillips then made a diving stop on Loretta’s grounder and flipped to Keppinger, the shortstop, for the force at second. Pence then grounded into a double play, the Reds’ third of the game.
Hanigan’s second homer of the season was only the third allowed by Geary in 58 innings this season.