PHILADELPHIA -- Alfredo Simon invented new pitches to baffle hitters. Simon allowed five hits over 7 2-3 strong innings, Devin Mesoraco hit a three-run homer and the Cincinnati Reds beat the struggling Philadelphia Phillies 3-0 on Friday night. Simon (5-2) had a season-high eight strikeouts, walked one and hit one batter. Manny Parra got one out in the eighth and Aroldis Chapman struck out pinch-hitter Cesar Hernandez on a 102 mph fastball with runners on second and third for his second save in two tries. Simon mixed a strong fastball with a slider and assorted off-speed pitches to keep the Phillies off-balance. "I was trying to have fun out there," Simon said. A couple of pitches were clocked in the low 70s. "I dont know what he was throwing half the time," Mesoraco said. "I was just catching it and throwing it back." The Phillies havent scored a run in the last 20 innings and were shut out for the fifth time this season. They have lost four straight and eight of 10 to fall a season-worst five games under .500 at 17-22. Kyle Kendrick (0-4) lost his ninth straight decision, dating to last Aug. 11. He allowed three runs and four hits in seven innings. Kendrick hasnt had much help from the offence, however. The Phillies have been shut out five times in those 15 starts and have scored one run or less eight times. "Main thing is I want the team to win," Kendrick said. "Just have to go out there, take care of my job and give my team a chance to win." The Reds didnt have slugger Joey Votto because of a left distal quadriceps strain. The 2010 NL MVP remained in Cincinnati. With Jay Bruce on the disabled list, it was the first time the Reds didnt have Votto and Bruce in their lineup since Sept. 20, 2012, at the Cubs. Mesoraco provided all the support they would need. He ripped a three-run shot in his first at-bat since returning from his second trip to the disabled list. "It was terrific. His first at-bat and he gave us an early cushion," Reds manager Bryan Price said. Mesoraco was sidelined by a left hamstring injury. He arrived to the ballpark less than three hours before the first pitch after making the trip from Norfolk where he played three games for Triple-A Louisville. "I was supposed to leave early this morning and didnt leave until about 3," he said. "I was starting to panic. I didnt feel that good. My legs were tired. Things cleared up after the first swing." A reshuffled lineup didnt solve Philadelphias hitting woes. Leadoff hitter Ben Revere was out with a stomach virus, so Jimmy Rollins batted first for the first time in 70 games. Carlos Ruiz moved up to bat second and John Mayberry Jr. took Reveres spot in centre field. The Phillies squandered a few chances in the early innings. They had runners on first and third with two outs in the first, but Simon struck out Marlon Byrd to end the inning. They had runners on the corners again with one out in the third, but Simon fanned Chase Utley and Ryan Howard. Simon struck out Ruiz to leave another runner on third in the fifth. NOTES: Votto had been the only Red to appear in the first 39 games. ... Reds cleanup hitter Todd Frazier was 0 for 4, ending his career-best 14-game hitting streak. .. Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg has used 22 different lineups in 39 games. ... Matt Beech was the last Phillies pitcher to have a losing streak of at least nine games. He lost 11 in a row between Aug. 13, 1996 and Aug. 2, 1997. ... Cole Hamels (0-2, 5.32) of the Phillies tries again for his 100th career win Saturday night vs. Homer Bailey (3-2, 4.72). Kevin Trapp Germany Jersey . Coach Randy Carlyle didnt know the severity of Bozaks injury. Bozak left the bench and went down the tunnel early in the second period, returned to play a handful of shifts and then did play in the third. Marvin Plattenhardt Jersey .com) - The Columbus Blue Jackets rewarded starting goaltender and pending restricted free agent Sergei Bobrovsky with a four-year contract extension on Friday. http://www.germanysoccerpro.com/Mesut-Ozil-Germany-Jersey/ . Mueller is the grandson of the late Ron Lancaster, the Hall-of-Fame quarterback and longtime head coach in the CFL. Last season, Mueller was quarterbacks coach of the University of Regina Rams, his alma mater. Ilkay Gundogan Jersey .com) - James Harden had 32 points, including a tying layup late in regulation, and the Houston Rockets scored eight of their 13 points in overtime at the foul line to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 117-111 on Friday night. Julian Brandt Germany Jersey . They actually finished with a better record in ‘07 than they did in ‘06 but only marginally, going from 61 victories to 66.SAN DIEGO -- A 21-game winner only two years ago, Ian Kennedy is starting to look more like his old self. Thats he doing it in San Diego has been a plus for the Padres. "Maybe I just needed a little change of scenery," said Kennedy, acquired in a trade from Arizona on July 31. "The coaching staff, the players, everyone has just made it really easy on me to feel comfortable." Kennedy beat an NL West opponent for the first time in 12 starts this season, pitching the Padres past the San Francisco Giants 4-1 Monday. Kennedy (6-9) gave up one run and five hits over six innings while striking out seven. He is 3-1 with a 4.04 ERA since arriving in San Diego. The right-hander improved to 1-5 with a 4.97 ERA in his starts against NL West teams this year. Huston Street worked a spotless ninth to earn his 26th save in 27 chances as the Padres snapped a three-game losing streak. "I felt like I could throw my fastball when I wanted to and when you work off that, that is how you have successful games," Kennedy said. Padres manager Bud Black noted that Kennedys strikes seldom got too much of the plate. "He got some fastballs in good spots and that was the key in a couple of big situations," Black said. "He had the fastball at the top of the zone and the fastball into the lefties, and the fastball away from them, too. His fastball was around the zone and that was what he had going today." "The changeup and curveball came into play, but not as much as weve seen him use it in other games. When he needed to throw a strike he did. When he needed an out, he got one." Barry Zito (4-11) lost his eighth straight decision. He has won only once in his last 20 starts. Zito was pulled after four innings, allowing four earned runs on four hits and three walks. He fell to 0-9 with a 10.00 ERA in his last 11 starts away from AT&T Park. "Its hard to narrow it down to one thing," Zito said of his road woes. "Normallly the splits arent really that bad in one direction.dddddddddddd" Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Zito started well, then lost his command. "He threw well in the first inning," Bochy said. "Then he had trouble finding the strike zone there and that caused all the problems. Thats what did him in." Kennedy drew one of Zitos three walks in the second. Ronny Cedeno hit an RBI single and Chris Denorfia singled home two runs. Nick Hundley hit his career-high 11th home run in the fourth when Zito elevated an 80 mph slider. "He didnt get it to where he wanted to," said Hundley, who stroked his third career home run off of Zito, his most against any pitcher. "You dont want to miss those kind of mistakes because you dont get them very often." The Giants scored in the fifth on Brandon Belts double. With runners on second and third, Buster Posey hit a two-out liner that third baseman Logan Forsythe reached high to snag. In the eighth, the Giants had the tying run at the plate, but Sandoval and Crawford failed to produce against reliever Luke Gregerson. "That was a little tap dance there, no doubt," Black said of Gregersons performance. "Sandoval is always a tough out, no matter how he is swinging or what the numbers are. Luke threw him an offspeed pitch and he had a big swing and it only went a couple feet. That was great." NOTES: Bochy said RHP Matt Cain will start Saturday against the Rockies after he threw a 90-pitch bullpen session on Monday. Cain has been on the DL with a bruised right forearm. ... LHP Jeremy Affeldt was to throw in a simulated game on Tuesday and Bochy said the team will determine his path after that. Affeldt has missed 41 games with a left groin strain. ... Padres 1B Yonder Alonso will undergo a MRI exam Tuesday on his ailing right hand. ... Padres 3B Chase Headley remains out of the lineup with a sore back. ... The Padres recalled RHP Burch Smith from Triple-A Tucson. ' ' '