Craig Counsell and J.J.

Joey Votto hit a two-run double in the seventh inning Monday to give the Cincinnati Reds a 4-3 victory over the Houston Astros. Votto had two hits and a run scored and Edwin Encarnacion drove in the other two runs for Cincinnati, which has won six of its last eight games.

Edinson Volquez yielded a run and four hits in seven innings Sunday, putting Cincinnati in position to record a 4-2 win over Houston. Volquez (2-1) walked five batters, struck out seven in 102 pitches and the only run he gave up was courtesy of Miguel Tejada's third-inning single. Closer Francisco Cordero,

The Cincinnati Reds signed Willy Taveras to a two-year contract Saturday, ending the team's search for a lead-off hitter and center fielder. The financial terms of the contract were withheld, MLB.com reported.

This crazy run for Colorado just goes on and on. Now, Willy Taveras has joined the fun. Taveras strolled to first base with the decisive RBI after sprinting toward the gap for a diving catch, and the Rockies kept on racing toward the World Series.