CINCINNATI(AP) -- Jay Bruce's timing was perfect.

Bruce hit a go-ahead single as a pinch-hitter in his return from
the disabled list and Brandon Phillips homered to help the
Cincinnati Reds beat the Houston Astros 3-1 on Monday night.

Making his first appearance in more than two months, Bruce
bounced a two-run single through the right side to give
Cincinnati a 2-1 lead in the seventh inning.

"That was a lot of fun," he said. "It was pretty exciting to be
out that long and come back and help the team win."

The bases-loaded grounder barely eluded first baseman Lance
Berkman and second baseman Kaz Matsui, making a winner of
Bronson Arroyo.

"Sometimes placement is better than hitting the ball hard," Reds
manager Dusty Baker said. "He couldn't have thrown the ball any
better through there."

Bruce broke his wrist making a diving catch against the New York
Mets on July 11. After his big hit Monday, he stayed in the game
and made a sliding catch of Miguel Tejada's liner leading off
the ninth.

Arroyo (13-12) allowed six hits and one run with no walks and
six strikeouts in seven innings. He also hit a batter with a
pitch.

"You don't get too many games where you leave the game losing by
one and end up winning," Arroyo said. "It was nice to steal that
one back."

Arroyo is 5-4 with a 2.11 ERA over his last 13 starts. Baker was
glad to see his right-hander get rewarded for pitching well.

"Bronson deserved to win that one," Baker said. "He's been
pitching great, especially in the second half of the season. He
was masterful tonight."

Arthur Rhodes and Nick Masset teamed up to pitch a scoreless
eighth inning. Francisco Cordero worked the ninth for his 35th
save, one more than he totaled last season, his first with the
Reds.

Phillips added an insurance run with a one-out solo homer off
Jeff Fulchino in the eighth, his 20th of the season and first in
46 at-bats since Sept. 2 against Pittsburgh.

Houston left-hander Wandy Rodriguez was almost as effective as
Arroyo. Rodriguez (13-10) gave up just five hits and two runs
with two walks and eight strikeouts while pitching into the
seventh inning.

Rodriguez scattered four hits and allowed one runner past second
base before the Reds broke through in the seventh. Scott Rolen
led off with a walk and Jonny Gomes doubled into the left-field
corner. That's when Astros manager Cecil Cooper decided to bring
in a reliever.

"Wandy deserved a better fate than what he received," Cooper
said. "I take the blame for that. He was close to 100 pitches.
You can't let your starter lose the game."

Rodriguez wanted the chance to pitch out of the jam.

"I have no control over that," he said. "He says go, I go.
That's what I do."

Samuel Gervachio was brought in with Gomes on second and Rolen
on third. The right-hander struck out pinch-hitter Juan
Francisco before intentionally walking pinch-hitter Kevin
Barker. Bruce was sent up to bat for Arroyo. Houston brought in
left-hander Wesley Wright, who gave up Bruce's go-ahead hit.

"I'd rather be lucky than good," Bruce said of the seeing-eye
single. "My teammates battled all game, and I was glad to see
that ball get through and drive those guys in."

Arroyo had retired seven consecutive batters and 12 of 13 when
Berkman grounded a broken-bat single through the hole into left
field with two outs in the sixth. Carlos Lee followed by lining
a double up the gap to the right-center wall, with Berkman
scoring all the way from first base.

Back in the dugout, Astros pitcher Bud Norris fanned Berkman
with a towel.

Tejada lined a single to center, too sharply for Lee to score
from second, and after Cincinnati pitching coach Dick Pole
visited Arroyo on the mound, Hunter Pence flied out to Drew
Stubbs one step in front of the center-field fence.

NOTES: The Reds activated Bruce from the 15-day disabled list
and recalled Francisco from Triple-A Louisville. Francisco made
his major league debut. ... Cooper said rookie RHP Yorman
Bazardo will start Wednesday's series finale. The start will be
Bazardo's third of the season and first since allowing eight
earned runs in two innings in a 14-7 loss at Arizona on Aug. 28.
... Lee needs five RBIs to reach 100 for the fifth consecutive
season and sixth time overall.