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CINCINNATI - Ken Griffey couldn't have felt any better if he'd just hit homer No. 500.
Griffey remained stuck at 499, but the Reds broke their seven-game losing streak Tuesday with a dramatic comeback. Barry Larkin's infield single in the 11th inning gave Cincinnati a 5-4 victory over the Rangers.
With the bases loaded and Texas using five infielders, Larkin hit a grounder up the middle that bounced off Alfonso Soriano's glove and ended the Reds' week of misery.
"Sometimes, that's what you need to get when you're struggling," Griffey said.
The Reds got everything except the one thing the 36,501 fans came to see: a little hometown history.
Griffey got an ovation every time he came to bat. He hasn't been so warmly received in his hometown since he came to the Reds in 2000, before a series of injuries turned the cheers to jeers.
"When I first got here, that's how it was," said Griffey, who went 2-for-4. "For them to do that, that was greatly appreciated."
So was a rare meltdown by the Rangers bullpen and a fluke play that turned the game.
The Reds rebounded from a 0-7 trip by rallying to tie in the ninth off closer Francisco Cordero, who had been perfect in 19 save opportunities. Jason LaRue's run-scoring single tied it at 4.
LaRue also started the winning rally with a leadoff single in the 11th off Erasmo Ramirez, who then hit Jermaine Clark with a pitch. Ryan Freel singled off Doug Brocail to load the bases with one out.
Manager Buck Showalter brought in outfielder Eric Young to play second and moved Soriano up the middle. Soriano charged Larkin's grounder to the right of the mound but pulled up when Young cut in front, leaving him with a tough play he couldn't make.
CARDINALS 8, A'S 4: Pinch-hitter Marlon Anderson sparked a five-run seventh with a two-run single, helping host St. Louis end Oakland's eight-game winning streak.
Albert Pujols was 1-for-4 with two RBIs for the Cardinals in his first appearance at first base in eight games. Pujols has been hampered by a strained left hamstring, an injury that reduced him to DH duties during a weekend series at Texas.
YANKEES 4, D'BACKS 2: Miguel Cairo singled in two runs and Jose Contreras improved to 3-0 in his past four starts for visiting New York.
Gary Sheffield, Bernie Williams and Derek Jeter had three hits each for the Yankees, who have won 11 of 13 and 17 of 20 to open a season-best 41/2-game lead over Boston in the AL East. One of Sheffield's hits was a home run off Mike Koplove in the ninth.
Mariano Rivera, returning to the mound where he blew Game 7 of the 2001 World Series, pitched a perfect ninth for his 27th save. He was unavailable for Sunday's game with back tightness.
WHITE SOX 7, MARLINS 5 (10): Carlos Lee doubled and scored in the 10th, extending his hitting streak to 28 games and helping visiting Chicago.
Timo Perez hit a tying two-run homer in the ninth off closer Armando Benitez, who blew his second save in 26 chances. Benitez gave up a three-run homer to Frank Thomas in the eighth.
Joe Crede led off the ninth with a double, and Perez followed with his second homer to tie it at 5.
ROCKIES 6, RED SOX 3: Vinny Castilla and Todd Helton drove in two each to help former Devil Ray Joe Kennedy win for the first time in eight starts, and host Colorado ended an eight-game losing streak.
Castilla, also a former Ray, was 3-for-4 and hit his 16th homer, and Helton went 1-for-3 with a walk and two runs for the Rockies, who were four losses short of the franchise's longest losing streak.
ANGELS 4, PIRATES 2: Chone Figgins' two-run double broke a tie in the ninth and Garret Anderson hit a two-run homer to lead visiting Anaheim, extending Pittsburgh's losing streak to nine games. The Pirates lost their 14th in 15 games.
DODGERS 5, ORIOLES 1: Juan Encarnacion hit a three-run homer and Jose Lima pitched seven strong innings to lead host Los Angeles. The game was the first meeting between the teams at Dodger Stadium since the Orioles won the first two games of the 1966 World Series on their way to a sweep.
BRAVES 3, ROYALS 2: Andruw Jones scored the winner on a wild pitch by Jason Grimsley in the eighth as host Atlanta rallied. Atlanta's comeback ruined a fine performance by Dennys Reyes, who took a 2-1 lead into the eighth.
TWINS 8, EXPOS 2: Johan Santana got his first career RBI and allowed three hits in eight innings, and Torii Hunter homered and drove in three to lead visiting Minnesota. Lew Ford also hit a two-run shot for the Twins, who have won six of eight.
TIGERS 10, PHILLIES 3: Jeremy Bonderman pitched one-hit ball over seven dominant innings and Carlos Guillen had a bases-loaded triple to lead visiting Detroit. Bonderman tied a career high with eight strikeouts and walked two.
METS 7, INDIANS 2: Hours after firing its hitting coach, host New York ended Cleveland's four-game winning streak and scored its most runs since May 21. The Mets scored as many as seven for the 10th time in 63 games.
BREWERS 3, MARINERS 0: Victor Santos and two relievers combined on a two-hitter, and Lyle Overbay drove in two to lead host Milwaukee.
GIANTS 4, BLUE JAYS 3: Jason Schmidt struck out 12 in his career-high eighth straight victory for host San Francisco. Schmidt worked ahead in the count much of the night to win for the seventh time in his past nine starts.