CINCINNATI, Ohio -- Ryan Ludwick had a bag of ice wrapped on his right shoulder, the one thats prevented him from doing much of anything all season. It seems to be finally coming around, just like his team. Ludwick drove in his first run of the season with a double, and the Cincinnati Reds kept up their August surge, beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-3 on Monday night for their seventh win in nine games. The Reds moved 17 games over .500, matching their season high and keeping the pressure on Pittsburgh and St. Louis in the NL Central race. "Weve been playing pretty well since I came back," said Ludwick, who returned from shoulder surgery a week ago. "We were 5-2 on the road trip, and we beat the team thats behind us in the wild-card standings, so thats a good start to the series." Its an important four-game series for Arizona, which now trails Cincinnati by six games for the final NL wild card spot. The Diamondbacks have won five of their last seven games, but cant afford to lose any more ground. "Were hoping to win the next three -- thats our goal," catcher Wil Nieves said. Bronson Arroyo (12-9) won his third straight start, allowing three runs in six innings. Aaron Hill hit a solo homer, extending his hitting streak to 12 games. J.J. Hoover retired the side in the eighth, his 23rd straight scoreless appearance -- a club record and the longest active streak in majors. Aroldis Chapman gave up a pair of singles in the ninth while getting his 31st save in 36 chances. It was the left-handers first appearance since he gave up a two-run homer to Jonathan Lucroy for a 7-6 loss in Milwaukee on Friday night. Ludwick got his long-awaited RBI during a three-run fourth inning against Randall Delgado (4-4), who had won his last three decisions. The left fielder tore cartilage in his right shoulder while sliding headfirst into third base on opening day. He returned a week ago and had a pair of singles in 14 at-bats on a road trip, showing a lot of rust from his long layoff while recovering from surgery. Manager Dusty Baker has dropped him from the cleanup spot to sixth in the order while he gets his swing straightened out. He doubled down the line at third base during the three-run fourth inning, his first RBI since a solo homer off Matt Cain during San Franciscos 6-4 win in Game 5 of their divisional playoff series at Great American Ball Park last Oct. 11. "I actually felt a little better tonight," Ludwick said. "I dont know if it was being home in familiar surroundings or what. "Its baby steps. Its a process. You feel like you want it all at once. You want to hit a home run in every one of your first 10 at-bats. Obviously, its a rhythm and timing issue. Tonight, I felt like I had a pretty good rhythm at the plate." The Reds could use a consistent right-handed run producer in their lefty-dominated lineup. Ludwick led the offence when Joey Votto missed most of the second half of last season with a knee injury, leading the Reds to the NL Central title. "Like Ive said, our best days are ahead of us," Baker said. "Weve just got to keep winning in the meantime." The Diamondbacks were coming off a 16-inning, 4-2 win in Pittsburgh that left their bullpen worn down. They needed a solid start from Delgado, who came up short. Todd Frazier hit a solo homer. Brandon Phillips had a triple among his three hits off Delgado and scored a pair of runs. Zack Cozart drove in two with a sacrifice fly and a groundout, helping the Reds pull ahead 5-1 after five innings. The Diamondbacks loaded the bases in the sixth, and Martin Prado singled for a pair of runs that cut it to 5-3. Arroyo allowed seven hits but didnt walk a batter for the third straight start. Notes: Diamondbacks C Miguel Montero, on the DL since Aug. 1 with a strained lower back, is scheduled to catch on Wednesday, take a day off, then catch Friday and Saturday. Hell be evaluated then. ... LH Matt Reynolds, on the DL since June 10 with a strained left elbow, is playing catch but hasnt thrown off a mound. ... Hill is 8-for-21 career against Arroyo with three homers. ... Phillips is 8-for-16 during a four-game hitting streak. ... Cozart leads the NL with nine sacrifice flies. ... The Diamondbacks will start LH Patrick Corbin, who hasnt won on the road since June 2, in the second game of the series. LH Tony Cingrani makes his first career appearance against the Diamondbacks.Bo Jackson Jersey . -- Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson asked his players a simple question during Fridays morning shootaround: How many of them had ever been on a team 14 games over . George Blanda Jersey . The native of Mont-Tremblant, Que., captured a World Cup downhill event Saturday, his second this year and fifth career victory on the circuit. http://www.shoptheraidersonline.com/Elite-Fred-Biletnikoff-Raiders-Jersey/ . Louis Blues teammates who would also be participating in the Olympics, Alex Pietrangelo felt right at home, no different in some ways to the travel experience of any old road trip – save for the length of the journey, that is. Bo Jackson Youth Jersey . -- Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Alrdridge were again the go-to duo for the Trail Blazers against the Kings. Josh Jacobs Raiders Jersey . -- Teemu Selanne scored the first goal of his 22nd NHL season, and the Anaheim Ducks extended the best start in franchise history with their fifth straight victory, 3-2 over the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night.LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Toms Ready was the winner Saturday in the Grade 3, $100,000 Ack Ack at Churchill Downs, although perhaps the bigger story was the fourth-place finish for heavily favored Runhappy.Toms Ready, ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr., came from well off the pace to win the one-mile Ack Ack by a half-length over Iron Fist after Runhappy tired on the lead as the 3-10 favorite.Toms Ready, owned by GMB Racing of New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson, returned $11.80 as second choice in a field of six after finishing a mile in 1:34.86 over a track rated wet-fast. It was his second graded victory of the year, following the Grade 2 Woody Stephens at Belmont Park in June.I was pretty confident the whole way, Hernandez said.Trainer Dallas Stewart was in New York to saddle Forever Unbridled in the Grade 1 Beldame. He said later by phone that Toms Ready likely will make his next start in the Nov. 4 Breeders Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita.Meanwhile, an entourage of about two dozen people led by owner Jim Mattress Mac McIngvale and his sister-in-law, trainer Laura Wohlers, were on hand to cheer for Runhappy and came away visibly disappointed with the defeat. Making his first start in more than nine months, the 2015 Eclipse Award winner for top sprinter appeared very relaxed in settiing fractions of 23.dddddddddddd08, 45.95, and 1:10.22, but he had no punch in the final quarter mile, finishing 2-1/2 lengths behind the winner.Well, well just live to play another day, go back and regroup to square one, McIngvale said.Edgar Prado was in from Maryland to ride Runhappy.He relaxed nice and easy, Prado said. He was sharp, though, and he rated nice for me, so thats good.With Runhappy having been sidelined by minor injuries for much of the year, Wohlers was squeezing in a prep for the colt prior to the BC Dirt Mile. McIngvale already has paid $1 million for one of 12 spots in the Jan. 28 Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park for Runhappy.Toms Ready, a Pennsylvania-bred by More Than Ready, now has won three of 13 career starts and has earned $640,267. Stewart had considered bypassing the Ack Ack in favor of the $350,000 Kelso Mile next Saturday at Belmont before deciding to stay home following the colts latest breeze.I had never seen him work any better so I said, We need to run him right here, Stewart said.The $2 exacta (3-1) paid $45, the $1 trifecta (3-1-6) returned $117.90, and the 10-cent superfecta (3-1-6-5) was worth $32.19. ' ' '