"If it meant beating up on a senior citizen, then that's what the Cincinnati Reds would do to shed the entrapment of a four-game losing streak.

In baseball years, 46-year-old Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jamie Moyer is practically an octogenarian.

Before his Geritol kicked in, the Reds scored a run in each of the first three innings and Aaron Harang made them during a 5-1 victory in Great American Ball Park.

Harang held the world champions to one run and four hits over seven innings, striking out nine while walking two to level his record at 4-4 and turn the Good Ship Cincinnati back into comfortable winning waters.

"I was able to keep them off balance," said Harang. "They have a quality lineup and you can't be too consistent with your spots and location. They have a good hitting team with a lot of power, guys who can change the game really quick."

After winning three straight in Arizona, Harang believes the trip to San Diego became a vacation instead of business and they lost three straight to the Padres.

"Maybe we got a little complacent after Arizona, thought we'd go into San Diego and cruise through those three games because we hadn't been doing well."

Harang did well - thoroughly impressing Gary "Sarge" Matthews, a teammate of manager Dusty Baker and now a Phillies broadcaster.

"Man, he was something else," said Matthews. "When you face him, you better strap it on."

Before the game, manager Dusty Baker talked about the four-game skid that had dropped his Reds into fourth place in the National League Central.

"The thing about this losing streak is that one pitch, one play, one hit - we easily could have won three of the last four we lost," he said. "We have to do more of the little things right. We haven't been bunting well, we have to cut down on giving up walks. We haven't been getting hits with runners in scoring position When you're going good you get 'em, when you're not going good you're not getting 'em."

And Baker was specific on how his team should approach Moyer and his soft as cotton candy pitches."