CINCINNATI, Ohio — All Justin Masterson needed was a little offense.

Check that . . . all Justin Masterson needed was more than a little offense. He's been getting little, if any, offensive support since late April.

Friday night the Indians provided the 6-6 right-hander with the most runs he's received in the past two months in an 8-2 victory over the Reds at Great American Ball Park. Masterson allowed one run over eight innings to end an 11-start winless streak that included six losses, four coming on shutouts.

"I feel so good for Masterson tonight," said second baseman Orlando Cabrera. "When we scored those four runs early, I knew it was going to be enough for him. He was in the zone tonight."

The victory gave the Indians a 4-0 record against the Reds this season. It's their first outright series win against the Reds since 2005. It also means the Ohio Cup is coming back to Cleveland.

Masterson (6-6, 2.85 ERA) had not won a game since April 26. Between then and Friday night, he went 0-6 with a 3.34 ERA in 11 starts in which the offense scored 22 runs.

Earlier this week Orlando Cabrera was talking about Masterson and how well he'd handled this streak.

"Why feel sorry for yourself?" said Masterson, who struck out five and walked one in 102 pitches. "You can't. This game is crazy. . . . good things, bad things. Whatever is going to take place, there's no room for feeling sorry for yourself.

"No one else is going to feel sorry for you. I'm not the first person to go through this. I won't be the last person to go through it. This what keeps bringing you back to the game of baseball."

Masterson grew up in Beavercreek, a suburb of Dayton. It's about a 45-minute drive from there to Cincinnati.

"I think about how the city of Beavercreek was here representing for me," said Masterson. "There were a lot of Indians fans in the crowd."

Masterson didn't go overboard in leaving tickets for family and friends.

"I left about seven or eight," he said. "Make everyone else fend for themselves. We'll see who else really wants to come."

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The Indians put this one away early on homers by Grady Sizemore, Asdrubal Cabrera and Carlos Santana off Bronson Arroyo (7-7, 5.49) for a 4-0 lead after three innings.

Sizemore made it 1-0 in the second on a drive to right-center field for his eighth homer and first since June 8. Sizemore, struggling at the plate, added an RBI double in the fifth.

Asdrubal Cabrera and Santana hit consecutive homers in the three-run third. Cabrera drove a 1-2 pitch 421 feet into the seats in right-center for a two-run homer and a 3-0 lead. It was his 14th homer of the season. Cabrera entered this season with 18 homers in his big-league career.

Santana followed by driving an 0-1 pitch into the Indians bullpen down the right-field line for his 12th homer. It was his fifth homer in his past 16 games.

Arroyo has allowed 24 homers this season.

The Indians didn't stop after the display of power. They stretched the lead to 8-1 with four runs in the sixth. The four runs came with two out.

Travis Buck's two-run single was the big hit of the inning, but he left the game with a strained left hamstring and was replaced by pinch-runner Austin Kearns.

Acta said the Indians will know more today when Buck comes to the ballpark.

"We have Kearns and Shelley Duncan so we're all right," he said. "If we have to make a move [disabled list] we'll do it, but we're not going to do it now."

Michael Brantley and Orlando Cabrera started the rally with two-out singles off Arroyo. After Asdrubal Cabrera flied out to right, Santana singled home Brantley and Sizemore delivered Orlando Cabrera with a double to right to knock Arroyo out of the game.

Arroyo allowed eight runs on nine hits in 4 innings. It was the second most runs he's allowed this season.

Brandon Phillips accounted for the Reds only runs with homers in the fourth and ninth inning. He homered off Masterson in the fourth and Chad Durbin in the ninth. Phillips' second homer was the 1,000th hit of his career.

Masterson contributed to the Tribe's 12-hit attack with a single in the third.

"Josh Tomlin represented for the starting staff on Tuesday with two knocks," said Masterson. "I figured I had to get at least one."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: phoynes@plaind.com, 216-999-5158

Twitter: @hoynsie

Cinesport video: Indians 8, Reds 2

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