CINCINNATI, Ohio -- Todd Frazier hit a three-run homer off Shelby Miller, who had won his last six decisions, and Devin Mesoraco added a solo shot as the Cincinnati Reds beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-3 on Friday night and tightened the top of the NL Central. The Reds moved within three games of the second-place Cardinals, who have won seven of their last nine games while staying right behind the division-leading Brewers. Cincinnati is 3-4 against St. Louis this season and trying to end a longstanding trend this weekend. The Reds have lost nine of their last 10 series against the Cardinals. Miller (6-3) lost his first two starts before winning six straight decisions, the best such streak of his career. He allowed five runs in five innings, including Fraziers ninth homer in the third inning. Homer Bailey (4-3) escaped numerous threats during his six innings. Aroldis Chapman gave up a hit in the ninth while getting his fourth save in five chances, with his fastball topping out at 102 mph. Bailey was coming off his worst start of the season. He lasted only 3 2-3 innings and gave up a season-high six runs during a 12-1 loss at Philadelphia on Saturday. The right-hander is only 6-10 career against St. Louis, by far his most losses against any team. He gave up eight hits and three runs, including Allen Craigs two-run single in the fourth. Jhonny Peralta drove in another by hitting into a fielders choice in the sixth. Bailey avoided further damage by picking Peralta off second base to end the inning with pinch-hitter Jon Jay batting. The Reds had right fielder Jay Bruce back in the starting lineup. He hadnt played since surgery on May 5 to repair torn cartilage in his left knee. Cincinnati is still missing first baseman Joey Votto, on the disabled list with a strained muscle above his left knee. Bruce doubled and scored on Brayan Penas sacrifice fly in the fourth inning for a 4-2 lead. Bruce also struck out twice and grounded out with two runners aboard to end the seventh. Pena played first base and made a saving defensive play to open the eighth. He dived to the line to get Matt Hollidays leadoff grounder and, while still on his chest, flipped the ball to Jonathan Broxton covering the base to get the out. Reds leadoff hitter Billy Hamilton walked, reached on a fielders choice and stole a pair of bases without drawing a throw on either one, giving him 18 this season. NOTES: A pair of lefties will start the second game of the series. Jaime Garcia is 9-2 career against the Reds, his most wins against any team. Hell face Tony Cingrani (2-3). ... The Cardinals sold the contract of OF Joey Butler to the Orix Buffaloes in Japan. The Cardinals had outright release waivers on Butler, who was at Triple-A Memphis. ... The Reds revamped their bench for the series, calling up OF Donald Lutz from Triple-A Louisville and sending INF Neftali Soto back down. ... RHP Mat Latos is expected to begin a rehab stint on Sunday with Louisville. He hasnt pitched this season because of torn knee cartilage and a strained right forearm. Cheap Wholesale Air Max 97 .Y. - Urijah Faber walked out on a Madison Square Garden stage in a Wes Welker jersey, the UFCs fun nod to that other "super" show this weekend. Air Max 97 Sale . - Suspended Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Justin Blackmon has voluntarily checked into a treatment facility and seems to be doing well. http://www.wholesaleairmax97.com/ . Head coach Corey Chamblin announced on Monday that Avon Cobourne had been hired as the defending Grey Cup champions new running backs coach. Cheap Air Max 97 . Cincinnati has lost back-to-back games in overtime, wasting a chance to take a commanding lead in their division. Discount Air Max 9 . The 49ers announced the deal Thursday. San Francisco selected Kilgore in the fifth round of the 2011 draft out of Appalachian State. He has played in 33 regular-season games, plus all six playoff games the last two seasons.LOS ANGELES -- When the final buzzer sounded on the longest two weeks of the Los Angeles Clippers careers, they felt more exhaustion than elation. While coach Doc Rivers high-fived fans and pumped his fist at the crowd, Blake Griffin and Chris Paul quietly congratulated each other. They had just persevered through seven exhausting playoff games amid enormous distractions leading to their owners lifetime banishment from the NBA. A franchise that once redefined losing was a winner despite it all -- and theres no telling how much farther these new Clippers can go. Griffin scored 24 points, Paul had 22 points and 14 assists, and the Clippers outlasted the Golden State Warriors 126-121 in Game 7 on Saturday night to win their first-round playoff series. "Im just happy we pulled it out," Paul said. "Its going to sound crazy, but it was all about tonight. Everything else was in the past. We didnt dwell on all that stuff, and not to diminish how serious everything has been in the past week or so. It was all about basketball tonight." Jamal Crawford scored 22 points for the third-seeded Clippers, who earned the franchises third playoff series win in 38 years with the highest degree of off-court difficulty imaginable. Less than a week after dumping their team warmup jerseys at centre court in a pregame gesture of defiance against Donald Sterling, the Clippers earned a cathartic win and a second-round date with the Oklahoma City Thunder, starting Monday night. "I just thought with all this stuff, this team just needed this win," Rivers said. "This was a hard week. It feels like two months. I just needed to be able to smile and laugh and cheer, and be proud of something. And I was very proud of my players." Sterling was banned for life from the NBA on Tuesday after a recording of racist comments by the 80-year-old billionaire was made public. The Clippers endured sleepless nights, constant public scrutiny and a failed attempt to close out the series in Game 6 before they finally hung on to beat Golden State. Sterlings long-estranged wife, Rochelle, cheered and clapped from the back of the lower bowl of Staples Center, where most of the advertising signage was illuminated again after the advertiser walkout sparked by Sterlings comments. "Its been a crazy ride for us," said DeAndre Jordan, who had 15 points and 18 rebounds. "I commend our guys for sticking with it. Its been a roller coaster, but we came out and had a job to do, and we did it." Stephen Curry had 33 points and nine assists, but Golden State blew a lead with 2:10 left in Game 7. Draymond Green scored 24 points for the Warriors, who lost their first GGame 7 since 1977 and failed to advance in consecutive postseasons for the first time since that same year.dddddddddddd. "We fought so hard this whole series, this whole season," Curry said. "It stings. Its disappointing for sure." An exhausting series ended with one last well-played game between the California powers who traded the lead throughout the second half. Los Angeles couldnt seize control of the first home Game 7 in franchise history until the final minutes -- and the Clippers did it in fitting Lob City style. After Griffin put the Clippers ahead for good by muscling home a layup, Jordan blocked Currys layup attempt to set up a fast break leading to J.J. Redicks lob to Griffin for a thunderous slam. Jordan added a dunk on an offensive rebound, and Griffin spun in the air and threw home a layup while getting fouled with 56 seconds left. Jordan threw down another alley-oop from Griffin with 22 seconds left, but Green hit a 3-pointer to trim the lead to 120-118. But Redick, Paul and Darren Collison hit two free throws apiece in the final 12 seconds to ice it. Redick scored 20 points for the Clippers, and Jordan put in a stellar low-post performance for the two-time Pacific Division champions. Klay Thompson managed just 15 points for the Warriors, failing to make a shot in the fourth quarter. Curry had just three field goals in the second half. "I thought it was a hard-fought series that everyone in the organization should be proud of," Jackson said. "We all went through it. The statements that were made were made to all of us. ... We did a good job handling what could go down as the toughest moment in league history, as far as what we had to go through." The game could have been the last for Golden State coach Mark Jackson, who might be on shaky ground with Warriors ownership despite presiding over the long-struggling franchises best two-year stretch in two decades. Curry said it would be "a shock" if Jackson wasnt the Warriors coach next year. "I dont get caught up in it," Jackson said. "Im totally confident, and I have total faith that Im going to be fine." NOTES: The Warriors havent won a Game 7 on the road since the Philadelphia Warriors beat the St. Louis Bombers in the 1948 BAA semifinals. ... Jordan set a franchise record for rebounds in a single playoff series, surpassing Bob McAdoos 94 rebounds for the Buffalo Braves in 1975. Jordan had already set the club record for blocked shots in a series. ... Warriors big man Jermaine ONeal played only three minutes after a collision with Los Angeles Glen Davis in Game 6 left him with a bone bruise on his right kneecap. ' ' '