by The Canadian Press , Guelph Mercury

The hard-hitting first baseman, in his third game since returning from a disabled list stint to deal with anxiety issues, cracked four hits, including a go-ahead homer in the seventh inning, and helped his Cincinnati Reds avoid a three-game sweep with a 7-5 win.

Votto began the night a combined 2-for-18 in five career games at the Rogers Centre but he turned that around by going 4-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs scored.

No hit was bigger than his blast in the seventh off Shawn Camp (0-3), turning on the reliever's first pitch to break a 5-5 tie after the Reds had blown a four-run lead.

The Blue Jays (40-34) had no answer afterwards before a crowd of 15,329 and watched their three-game win streak come to an end. They're now 6-9 in interleague play with the Philadelphia Phillies coming to town today for their final meeting with the NL this season.

A bunt single by Williy Taveras off Brandon League in the eighth squeezed an insurance run for the Reds (35-36), who stopped a four-game losing skid. Johnny Cueto (7-4) earned the victory despite surrendering five runs in six innings, while Francisco Cordero worked the ninth for his 18th save.

Votto's ninth homer of the season came after the Blue Jays erased an early 5-1 deficit left for them by rookie starter Brett Cecil, who was fortunate to have made it through three innings.

Hitless since the first inning, the Jays came alive in the fifth. Lyle Overbay led off with a walk, Russ Adams followed with a one-out single and Aaron Hill worked a two-out walk to load the bases for Vernon Wells, who ripped a two-run double to make it 5-3.

Copyright 2009 Toronto Star Newspapers, Ltd. All Rights Reserved
	Terms & Conditions     Privacy Copyright © 2009 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.