CINCINNATI -- The Reds have finally started winning as trading time approaches. Orioles Jerseys 2019 .Jay Bruce hit a three-run homer and barely missed another during one of Cincinnatis final home games before the non-waiver trade deadline, and the Reds beat the fading Arizona Diamondbacks 6-1 on Saturday night for a modest breakthrough.The last-place Reds have won three consecutive series for the first time, finding success against other struggling teams.I think were starting to see some cohesiveness in the pitching, manager Bryan Price said. Were just playing better baseball. Thats good coming out of the break.Bruces 20th homer off Robbie Ray (5-9) gave him the team lead with 69 RBI. He also doubled off the top of the wall in left field and thought he might have gotten another homer, but the call of a double was upheld after a video review.The Reds tried to trade Bruce in the offseason, but the deal fell through. Hes Cincinnatis most attractive player for a deal before the Aug. 1 deadline. Cincinnati hits the road after concluding the series on Sunday. Bruce wasnt made available to talk to reporters after the game.The Diamondbacks have lost 17 of 21, falling from third place into the basement of the NL West.Michael Lorenzen (1-0) took over in the fourth inning for Keyvius Sampson, who made his first start of the season after seven relief appearances. A starter last year, Sampson hadnt gone more than four innings this season. He gave up four hits in 4 1/3 innings, throwing 88 pitches.I wanted to go on, but I got tired, Sampson said. I hit a wall.Arizonas Chris Owings was activated off the disabled list and singled home a run in the first inning. Owings had been sidelined by plantar fasciitis in his left foot.The Reds got three unearned runs in the first, two of them on third baseman Jake Lambs throwing error. Brandon Phillips doubled home a run to complete the inning, extending his hitting streak to 11 games. The Diamondbacks had a chance to get out of the inning when they got Billy Hamilton involved in a rundown, but they botched the play and allowed him to return safely to third.In the first inning, those three runs were on our defense, Arizona manager Chip Hale said. We had him in a rundown. Those are plays that have got to be made at this level.The Diamondbacks were still fuming over leadoff hitter Jean Segura getting hit in the lower back by Dan Straily on Friday night. The plunking came on the first pitch of his next at-bat after a solo homer. Hale thought Straily hit him on purpose, and warned that theres going to be some retribution at some point.There were no issues on Saturday. Rays first pitch to Joey Votto in the first inning was an 82 mph breaking ball that sailed over his head for a wild pitch. Nobody from either team got hit.SLOW STARTThe first inning lasted 38 minutes and featured 61 combined pitches.STATSRay fanned a career-high 10 batters in five innings. Hes the second pitcher in team history to strike out at least 10 in five innings, joining Max Scherzer (Sept. 7, 2008 against the Dodgers). ... The Reds will try for their first three-game sweep of the Diamondbacks in Cincinnati since 2007. ... Joey Votto has hit safely in all eight games since the All-Star break.YOU SHOULD BE DANCINGJohn Travolta and Kelly Preston watched the game from a suite. Travolta was shown on the videoboard while Night Fever played in the middle of the eighth.TRAINERS ROOMDiamondbacks: Placed INF Nick Ahmed on the 15-day DL with a sore right hip. He started at shortstop on Friday and went 0 for 2 with a walk during Cincinnatis 6-2 win. Hale said his hip has been bothering him and was especially sore during the game Friday.UP NEXTDiamondbacks: RHP Zack Godley (2-1) gave up four runs in five innings of a 5-1 loss to the Blue Jays on July 19. Hell make his first career start against the Reds.Reds: LHP Brandon Finnegan (5-7) got the win by going five innings in an 8-2 win over Atlanta on Monday. He hasnt gone more than five innings in any of his last three starts.---Follow Joe Kay on Twitter: http://twitter.com/apjoekay Baltimore Orioles Store . He was followed closely by David Clarkson, donning red, seconds later. Clarksons actions one night earlier, leaping off the bench in defence of Kessel during a pre-season game against the Buffalo Sabres, will cost him the first 10 games of the regular season. Fake Orioles Jerseys . -- There were a lot of firsts for the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night. https://www.cheaporioles.com/ . -- Bryant McKinnie came out of his stance and lowered his shoulder into a practice squad player, causing a crisp thud to reverberate in the Miami Dolphins practice bubble. DETROIT -- Danny Duffys season has taken quite a turn for the worse over the past month.Duffy allowed six runs and was chased in the fourth inning Friday night, and the Kansas City Royals lost 8-3 to the Detroit Tigers. Detroit remained a half-game ahead of Baltimore for the second wild card in the American League.Duffy had won 10 straight decisions before allowing seven runs in a loss at Boston on Aug. 27. Hes won only once since.Duffy (12-3) allowed seven hits in 3 2/3 innings Friday. He walked four and struck out four.I cost my team a chance to win that game, Duffy said. I just didnt have it. There are going to be days like this.Michael Fulmer pitched seven sharp innings for the Tigers in his first win in over a month. Fulmer (11-7) allowed a run and eight hits, striking out nine with no walks.Justin Upton, Victor Martinez and Cameron Maybin went deep for the Tigers, who won their fifth game in a row.I think theres a little bit of a sense of urgency now, Detroit manager Brad Ausmus said. This is our last homestand. This is the last chance at home to try and do something in the standings, and were playing against two teams ... in Kansas City and Cleveland, we know very well. Maybe I was the only one that felt it, but I felt there was more energy.The Tigers jumped ahead right away against Duffy. The Royals made two errors in the first inning, and Uptons RBI double made it 2-0.They are fighting for their life and doing everything they have to do to be a playoff team, Duffy said. You could tell there was that kind of hunger there.Martinez and Upton each hit solo shots in the third, and MMaybins two-run homer in the fourth made it 6-0. Baltimore Orioles Shirts. Upton has 27 homers on the season, including 14 in his last 29 games.Kansas City has lost nine of its last 12.DISPUTED CHALLENGEKansas Citys only run off Fulmer came after replay overturned the second out of an apparent double play, which would have ended the sixth. Ausmus complained to the umpires, saying the Royals had waited too long before challenging.I said I wanted to protest, which, even going into it, when I said it, I knew instant replay wasnt protestable, Ausmus said.After the review revived the rally, Paulo Orlando hit an RBI single.ON THE BORDERLINEFulmer is the ALs ERA leader at 2.95 -- his 155 2/3 innings are enough to qualify at this point. Hell need to throw 6 1/3 more to qualify for the title at the end of the season.The Tigers have taken steps to limit his workload, and this latest start was a positive sign.I thought Fulmer was really on top of his game, Royals manager Ned Yost said. Really good fastball, down in the zone, really good slider, really good changeup.TRAINERS ROOMRoyals: Kansas City C Salvador Perez sat out with what Yost described as a very minor knee issue.UP NEXTRoyals: Kansas City sends RHP Yordano Ventura (11-11) to the mound for Saturdays game at Detroit. Ventura is coming off a complete game against the Chicago White Sox on Monday.Tigers: Detroit starts LHP Daniel Norris (3-2) in the middle game of this series.---Follow Noah Trister at www.Twitter.com/noahtrister ' ' '