CINCINNATI, Ohio -- Brandon Phillips had to move into the cleanup spot because of an injury on opening day. Hes swinging like he belongs there. The All-Star second baseman drove in three runs with a bases-loaded double on Friday night, and Mike Leake got the better of left-hander Francisco Liriano for the third time this season, leading the Cincinnati Reds to a 5-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates that tightened the NL Central. The third-place Reds moved to within three games of second-place Pittsburgh. The Pirates lead their season series 6-5. The Reds sent nine batters to the plate for four runs in the fifth off Liriano (9-4), who had his shortest outing of the season. Chris Heiseys infield single drove in the first run, and Phillips double off Justin Wilson made it 5-0. It also gave Phillips 77 RBIs this season, among the best in baseball. "Wow," Phillips said. "My teammates put me in a great situation, and I was able to come through. Its my job to try to drive men in. Ive been doing it all year. Thats what its all about." Phillips excellence with runners on base has helped the Reds get through the loss of cleanup hitter Ryan Ludwick, who tore cartilage in his right shoulder while sliding into base on opening day. "Hes been our RBI clutch man all season," manager Dusty Baker said. "You certainly need a guy like that in the middle of your lineup, because hes going to come up with men on base." Heisey also had a solo homer off Liriano, who is 0-3 in three starts against Leake and the Reds this season. Liriano didnt have much control during his first start in nine days. "One of those days I didnt get any rhythm," Liriano said. "I tried to make good pitches and it didnt work out. Everything was up." Leake (9-4) gave up solo homers to Starling Marte, Andrew McCutchen and Russell Martin in the sixth inning. Manny Parra fanned Pedro Alvarez with runners on second and third to end the seventh. Aroldis Chapman struck out two in the ninth while getting his 22nd save in 25 chances. The Ohio River rivals have produced the majors most painful pairings this season. Nineteen batters have been hit by pitches -- the Reds 10 times, the Pirates nine times -- in their 11 games. Nobody was hit on Friday, a rare game that didnt leave a mark. The Pirates emerged from the All-Star break with their best record in 37 years. Their 56 wins were their most at the break since the World Series champion Pirates of 1971 had 57 wins. Pittsburghs overriding question: Can it avoid another second-half meltdown and break a two-decade streak of losing? The Reds are trying to duplicate what they did last season, when they went on a surge after the break and ran away to the NL Central title. First, they need to get healthy. Top starter Johnny Cueto, set-up men Sean Marshall and Jonathan Broxton, and Ludwick are still on the disabled list. "Thats a great win to start the second half of the season," Phillips said. "Were playing a great team. Its time to have some fun and wipe out the mistakes of the first half." Heisey took over in left field when Ludwick got hurt, then pulled his right hamstring and missed nearly two months. His solo shot on Friday gave him three homers since his return. Shin-Soo Choo singled during Cincinnatis four-run fifth, extending his hitting streak to 13 games, matching his career high. Phillips decisive double came a few hours after a magazine released an interview with the All-Star second baseman in which he said hes still "scarred" by the Reds decision to give Joey Votto a 10-year, $225 million extension in 2012 while he was in tough negotiations for an extension of his own. Votto said he understood Phillips opinion and appreciated his honesty. NOTES: Pirates 2B Neil Walker started a rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday. Hell play three games and get evaluated. Hes been on the 15-day DL since June 7 with soreness in his right side. ... 1B Garrett Jones error ended Pittsburgh streak of 41 innings without one, matching their season high. ... The Reds called up INF Neftali Soto from Triple-A Louisville, filling the spot opened when LH Tony Cingrani was sent down on Wednesday. ... Baker said LH reliever Sean Marshall suffered a "minor setback" in his throwing program. Marshall has been on the DL since April 10 with a sore pitching shoulder.Hank Aaron Jersey Large . PETERSBURG, Fla. Tom Glavine Jersey Large . They hope to persuade the other team owners and commissioner Roger Goodell to put pressure on Redskins owner Daniel Snyder to drop the nickname they find offensive. 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Thats not a comment on the suspension that banished the Portland Winterhawks general manager and coach from his Western Hockey League teams bench for most of the 2012-13 season.Frespanol has erased memories of his last trip to the Sunshine Coast with victory in the open handicap, a race deferred from the Doomben wash-out.The 1350m-race abandoned on Saturday was added to what was already a 12--race program on Wednesday with many of the runners being prepared for upcoming summer features.Ridden by Jim Byrne, former Sydney-trained Frespanol ($10) scored by a short head to Jopa ($9) on Wednesday with a half length to third-placed Harada Bay ($8).The last time Frespanol headed to the Sunshine Coast in April he was in a float which rolled down an embankment on the Bruce Highway and he spent 40 minutes trapped inside.Frespanol and the three other horses on the truck escaped serious injury but he missed the winter carnival.Trainer Tony Gollan, who is in New Zealand for a horse sale, said by phone the win had come as no surprise and Frespanol had improved withh each race this campaign.ddddddddddddHe was good first-up and then had no luck at all second-up when caught deep, Gollan said.He is a nice horse and he will now run in the Recognition Stakes at Eagle Farm on Saturday week.After that he will chase the feature races such as the Lough Neagh and Bernborough Stakes in the summer.Gollan said Frespanol owed him a win in a stakes race from his days when the gelding was trained in Sydney.He actually beat me in a stakes race when Gai Waterhouse trained him. My mare Tornado Miss ran second to him in the 2015 Spear Chief Stakes at Doomben, Gollan said.I do think he will be even fitter next time so the stakes race might be soon.Group Two winner Rudy lost no friends when he came from third last to finish fifth. ' ' '