The riverfront is rockin' again, Reds relieved fans are finally getting behind the team

CINCINNATI - Crowds at Cinergy Field have been bigger than usualin the past week. They've also turned up the volume.

The Cincinnati Reds are glad to hear it.

When the Reds returned from a 7-0 road trip that launched theminto first place in the NL Central, they found that the mood oftheirfans had changed.Cinergy Field, known as a place where the fans are subdued andpolite, has started to rock."It looks like we've finally got the fans won over," Manager JackMcKeon said. "I hope we keep winning and maybe they'll keep comingout."Left fielder Greg Vaughn heard a big difference in the crowds thisweek."It's nice to hear the fan support," Vaughn said. "I was tellingsome of the players that I always enjoyed coming in here when Iplayed with the Padres because there wasn't any environment. It wasalways easy to come in here and play the last couple of years."Now the city's starting to get excited and create anenvironment."Before the Reds started the homestand, one fan wrote a letter tothe editor of a local paper taking fans to task for making so littlenoise. The letter noted that Indian fans were much more vocal whenCleveland played a weekend series at Cinergy Field in June.Vaughn recalled how San Diego fans became a factor in the Padres'surge to the World Series last year."We had the 10th man," Vaughn said. "It helped in the playoffsand late in the season. That's important. It helps you get fired upand it makes it more difficult for the other team."The 34,168 who showed up for Saturday night's 10-0 win overHouston had a lot to cheer and took full advantage. The crowd evengave reliever Dennys Reyes a standing ovation for hitting a longfoulball.It was uncharacteristic for Cincinnati, where fans amusethemselves by doing the wave as a distraction during games."It's electrifying," McKeon said. "The crowd was into it. Whenthey cheer Reyes for a foul ball that makes the guys feel good andpumps them up."Why the sudden change? The Reds are in first place at midseasonfor the first time since 1995, the last time they had a winningrecord and made the playoffs."I think you can attribute that to the way we're playing,"outfielder Michael Tucker said.- n nMEMORABLE AT-BAT: Astro reliever Jay Powell enjoyed his lengthyencounter with Sean Casey in the heat during Houston's 5-3 victorySunday.Casey came to bat in the seventh with two runners aboard and twoouts. He took a ball, then fouled off the next five pitches beforegrounding out to third."That was one of the most fun times I've had in baseball," Powellsaid. "Everything I threw, he was fouling off. He's just a greathitter."One of the fouls sliced down the left-field line and landed onlyinches foul."You're battling and you don't want to lose," Casey said. "Powellpitched me well - away and in and dropping the splitter."I saw it (the near-miss foul) was close and I was begging it togo right, but it didn't. It faded at the end."Powell considered the foul as a pivotal point."It was just inches foul," Powell said. "I guess some of thebreaks are changing. Maybe we can get some of the breaks."The Reds had won seven of the previous nine games between theteams this season.