Cincinnati, OH (Sports Network) - Paul Bako went 3-for-4 and drove in the winning run with a ninth-inning single, as the Cincinnati Reds squeaked out a 4-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies at Great American Ball Park.

Corey Patterson homered and scored a pair of runs, and Reds closer Francisco Cordero (1-0) earned his first win with his new team after tossing a scoreless top half of the ninth. Starter Aaron Harang allowed just two runs on six hits over his seven innings, helping Cincinnati to its third win in four games.

Ryan Howard homered and Chase Utley was 2-for-3 with a run batted in for Philadelphia, which got a solid - if not spectacular - outing from much- maligned fifth starter Adam Eaton. Eaton lasted into the eighth inning, yielding just three runs on six hits, though he walked four and surrendered the game-tying home run to Patterson.

Chad Durbin (0-1) took the loss, allowing one run on one hit in the ninth.

Howard gave Philadelphia the lead with one swing in the top of the eighth, smoking a Kent Mercker offering deep into the centerfield seats for his first homer of the young season.

Mercker got out of the inning with a double-play ball, but Philly took a 3-2 lead to the bottom half, and Eaton remained in the game.

Bako singled to start the home half of the eighth, but was erased when Eaton jammed Joey Votto into a 6-4-3 double play. Eaton was just an out away from completing the frame when Patterson jumped on a flat sinker for a two-out solo shot to left-center, tying the game.

Tom Gordon came on after Eaton gave up a double to Jeff Keppinger and intentionally walked Ken Griffey Jr., and got a huge third out by fanning Brandon Phillips.

Durbin was the new Phillies pitcher in the ninth, and he issued a free pass to Adam Dunn to start the inning. Dunn was replaced on the basepaths by pinch runner Ryan Freel, and he moved to second when Durbin walked Edwin Encarnacion. Norris Hopper then advanced both runners with a pretty sacrifice bunt down the third-base line, and Philadelphia opted to pitch to Bako with runners at second and third and only one out.

Bako got ahead in the count against Durbin, then chopped the 2-1 pitch toward Jimmy Rollins at shortstop. Freel broke for the plate on contact, and Rollins may not have had a chance to get him at home, but the reigning MVP double- clutched, then inexplicably threw to first as the winning run scored.

Dunn finished the day 1-for-3 with a run scored, while Griffey drove in the other Cincinnati run.

Shane Victorino roped a triple and Pat Burrell had an RBI double for the Phils, who had a two-game win streak halted.

Eaton walked Patterson to start the first, and after stealing second the Reds' leadoff man eventually came home on Griffey's sacrifice fly. Cincy padded its lead in the second when Dunn laced a leadoff single and came home on Scott Hatteberg's RBI base hit. The Reds were threatening for more, with two on and one out, but Harang's bunt turned into an inning-ending double play.

Philly got one back in the third, as Victorino roped a two-out triple to the gap in left-center, and Utley followed with an RBI double.

Over the next three frames Eaton settled in, and the Phillies got to Harang in the sixth but only came away with one run. Utley wristed a one-out single to left, and Howard followed with a walk. Burrell tied the game when he lined a double down the left-field line to score Utley, but after walking Geoff Jenkins to load the bases, Harang got Greg Dobbs to go down on strikes and induced a pop-up from Chris Coste to escape the inning with minimal damage.