CINCINNATI – Adam Dunn homered on a pitch he wasn’t supposed to reach, and Aaron Harang became Cincinnati’s first 10-game winner, leading the rejuvenated Reds to a 3-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Friday night.

Cincinnati had slipped four games behind St. Louis in the NL Central with a 1-8 slump heading into the All-Star break. In the last two days, the Reds have made an eight-player trade and won both of their games.

The Rockies have dropped five straight, a midseason stumble that cost them ground in the wide-open NL West. The latest loss dropped Colorado below .500 (44-45) for the first time since June 23.

Harang (10-6) has been overshadowed by right-hander Bronson Arroyo, who was acquired in a March trade and represented the Reds in the All-Star game on Tuesday. But Harang has been just as productive pitching at the top of the rotation.

The right-hander allowed three hits in seven shutout innings on a muggy night, moving one victory ahead of Arroyo for the team lead. Harang also leads the staff with an NL-high four complete games.

A revamped bullpen took it from there. Newcomer Gary Majewski gave up Todd Helton’s sacrifice fly in the eighth. Closer Eddie Guardado, acquired from Seattle in a trade a week ago, got the last three outs for his second save in two nights.

Dunn reached for a low 0-2 pitch from Jason Jennings (6-7) and sent it barely beyond the right-field wall in the first inning for his 29th homer. The solo shot was only the third homer Jennings has allowed in his last seven starts.

Jennings gave up three runs – only two earned – in six innings, adding to his stretch of solid performances over the last two months.

A few hours before the first pitch, the Reds made acquaintance with three high-priced acquisitions who flew in from Washington, D.C., on the same commuter plane.

The Reds traded everyday outfielder Austin Kearns and shortstop Felipe Lopez to the Nationals on Thursday in an eight-player swap focused on helping the bullpen. Left-hander Bill Bray and the right-handed Majewski are counted on to stabilize one of the majors’ worst relief corps.

The Reds also acquired shortstop Royce Clayton, who drove in a run with a groundout in his second at-bat. Jason LaRue’s run-scoring single made it 3-0 in the sixth.

But it was the revamped bullpen that the 22,497 fans were eager to see. Harang made sure it didn’t have to do much to make a good impression.

Bray started warming up in the seventh, then sat down when Harang pitched out of a two-on threat. Majewski gave up a pair of hits and a run while retiring two batters in the eighth, but Kent Mercker got Brad Hawpe on a called third strike to end the threat. Hawpe was ejected by plate umpire Joe West for disagreeing with the call.

Notes: Hawpe’s hitting streak ended at 10 games, which matched his career high. … Cory Sullivan started in center for the Rockies instead of Choo Freeman, who is in a 3-for-19 slump. … RHP Paul Wilson threw 82 pitches in six innings Friday for the Reds’ Sarasota farm team. Wilson is on a rehab assignment, recovering from shoulder surgery 13 months ago. … Reds 3B Rich Aurilia extended his hitting streak to eight games with a first-inning single. … Brandon Phillips broke an 0-for-16 slump, his longest of the season.

AP-ES-07-14-06 2141EDT