Reds finish strong to put away another close one

CINCINNATI -- For whatever reason, the Cincinnati Reds are at their best at the end of close games. That's when Aaron Boone shines.

Boone led off the bottom of the ninth with a homer off Dustin Hermanson for a 5-4 victory Monday night that stopped the Cardinals' winning streak at seven games.

Boone doubled home a couple of runs in the first, then won it with his sixth homer of the season, setting up another group huddle-and-jump at home plate.

Eight of Cincinnati's 14 wins have come in its last at-bat.

"We keep showing a lot of heart," said Boone, who had two game-ending homers last season. "If we can hang around, we seem to find a way to win. If we're going to win a lot of games, we've got to play cleaner games."

The Reds allowed a surprising four-run lead off Woody Williams to slip away because of more shoddy defense. They had a season-high four errors, giving them 41 for the season, the most in the majors.

The two decisive mistakes were made by Williams and Hermanson (0-1). Each left a slider over the plate for Boone, and quickly regretted it.

"I hung a slider to Boone and you saw what he does to that," said Williams, who settled down and lasted eight innings. "He did it at the end of the game, too."

Hermanson opened the ninth by throwing a pair of strikes, then missed twice before going to his slider.

"Just one hanging slider," said Hermanson, who was second-guessing himself. "I got beat on my third-best pitch, instead of a fastball or a splitter."

Boone is one of the Reds' best clutch hitters. He's hitting .333 with runners in scoring position, and knows how to relax under late-inning pressure.

"Some days, you just feel good," Boone said. "I hate to be 'aw shucks' about it, but that's kind of how it is."

Scott Williamson (3-1) relieved and got a strikeout and a harmless fly to escape a threat in the top of the ninth.

The Reds got off to a fast start against Williams, who has been the Cardinals' most dominant starter -- only four runs allowed in his first five starts. He came into the game with a 1.09 ERA that led the majors.

In only two innings Monday, he doubled his run total. Jose Guillen extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a run-scoring double in the first, and Boone doubled home two more.

Juan Castro hit the first homer off Williams this season, a solo shot that rode the wind into the first row of seats in left field in the second inning.

Castro's third homer was stunning. Williams has given up only two in his last 11 starts, and none of the Cardinals had allowed a homer during the seven-game winning streak.

Williams' tough first inning also snapped a streak of 11 straight games in which St. Louis starters had gone at least six innings and given up two or fewer runs.

"I don't know what it was -- the new ballpark, my first time pitching here," said Williams, who gave up six hits and one walk in eight innings. "No excuses. They got four runs before you can blink an eye."

The worst defense in the majors let the Cardinals back into the game. Edgar Renteria had a sacrifice fly in the fourth, and starter John Riedling's throwing error allowed a run to score in the fifth.

The Cardinals tied it with two runs in the seventh, when the Reds failed to turn two double plays, committed an error and allowed a run on a wild pitch.

Scott Sullivan hit Williams on the arm with a pitch to start the inning, and Fernando Vina singled. Shortstop Felipe Lopez threw into the photographers' pit while trying to turn a double play, allowing Williams to score.

The Reds again failed to turn two -- Lopez's throw pulled reliever Felix Heredia off first base -- and Heredia threw a wild pitch that let in the run that tied it at 4.

Noteworthy

The Cardinals' Jim Edmonds went 0-for-4, dropping his average from .402 to .385 and ending his eight-game hitting streak.

Albert Pujols, the NL player of the week, extended his hitting streak to seven games with a double.

Reds SS Barry Larkin ran the bases and ran back-and-forth between cones in the outfield before the game, testing the strained left calf that has kept him on the DL since April 14. The calf was a little sore, but he felt no sharp pain and expects to be activated during the series.

Guillen's hitting streak matches his career high.