The College Football Playoff pairings were to be released later Sunday

CINCINNATI -- The Reds have finally started winning as trading time approaches.Jay Bruce hit a three-run homer and barely missed another during one of Cincinnatis final home games before the non-waiver trade deadline, and the Reds beat the fading Arizona Diamondbacks 6-1 on Saturday night for a modest breakthrough.The last-place Reds have won three consecutive series for the first time, finding success against other struggling teams.I think were starting to see some cohesiveness in the pitching, manager Bryan Price said. Were just playing better baseball. Thats good coming out of the break.Bruces 20th homer off Robbie Ray (5-9) gave him the team lead with 69 RBI. He also doubled off the top of the wall in left field and thought he might have gotten another homer, but the call of a double was upheld after a video review.The Reds tried to trade Bruce in the offseason, but the deal fell through. Hes Cincinnatis most attractive player for a deal before the Aug. 1 deadline. Cincinnati hits the road after concluding the series on Sunday. Bruce wasnt made available to talk to reporters after the game.The Diamondbacks have lost 17 of 21, falling from third place into the basement of the NL West.Michael Lorenzen (1-0) took over in the fourth inning for Keyvius Sampson, who made his first start of the season after seven relief appearances. A starter last year, Sampson hadnt gone more than four innings this season. He gave up four hits in 4 1/3 innings, throwing 88 pitches.I wanted to go on, but I got tired, Sampson said. I hit a wall.Arizonas Chris Owings was activated off the disabled list and singled home a run in the first inning. Owings had been sidelined by plantar fasciitis in his left foot.The Reds got three unearned runs in the first, two of them on third baseman Jake Lambs throwing error. Brandon Phillips doubled home a run to complete the inning, extending his hitting streak to 11 games. The Diamondbacks had a chance to get out of the inning when they got Billy Hamilton involved in a rundown, but they botched the play and allowed him to return safely to third.In the first inning, those three runs were on our defense, Arizona manager Chip Hale said. We had him in a rundown. Those are plays that have got to be made at this level.The Diamondbacks were still fuming over leadoff hitter Jean Segura getting hit in the lower back by Dan Straily on Friday night. The plunking came on the first pitch of his next at-bat after a solo homer. Hale thought Straily hit him on purpose, and warned that theres going to be some retribution at some point.There were no issues on Saturday. Rays first pitch to Joey Votto in the first inning was an 82 mph breaking ball that sailed over his head for a wild pitch. Nobody from either team got hit.SLOW STARTThe first inning lasted 38 minutes and featured 61 combined pitches.STATSRay fanned a career-high 10 batters in five innings. Hes the second pitcher in team history to strike out at least 10 in five innings, joining Max Scherzer (Sept. 7, 2008 against the Dodgers). ... The Reds will try for their first three-game sweep of the Diamondbacks in Cincinnati since 2007. ... Joey Votto has hit safely in all eight games since the All-Star break.YOU SHOULD BE DANCINGJohn Travolta and Kelly Preston watched the game from a suite. Travolta was shown on the videoboard while Night Fever played in the middle of the eighth.TRAINERS ROOMDiamondbacks: Placed INF Nick Ahmed on the 15-day DL with a sore right hip. He started at shortstop on Friday and went 0 for 2 with a walk during Cincinnatis 6-2 win. Hale said his hip has been bothering him and was especially sore during the game Friday.UP NEXTDiamondbacks: RHP Zack Godley (2-1) gave up four runs in five innings of a 5-1 loss to the Blue Jays on July 19. Hell make his first career start against the Reds.Reds: LHP Brandon Finnegan (5-7) got the win by going five innings in an 8-2 win over Atlanta on Monday. He hasnt gone more than five innings in any of his last three starts.---Follow Joe Kay on Twitter: http://twitter.com/apjoekay Dwight Clark Super Bowl Jersey . -- The Bishops Gaiters are showing they belong among the countrys top varsity football teams. Dre Greenlaw Super Bowl Jersey . The Cincinnati Reds remain perfect with their speedy rookie outfielder in the starting lineup. http://www.authenticsf49erspro.com/Deion-sanders-49ers-jersey/ . Burke is expected to miss two to three months after breaking a finger in the teams third preseason game. Tinsley, a 10-year veteran, spent the last two seasons in Utah, where the point guard averaged 3. Emmanuel Sanders Super Bowl Jersey . The 18th player to shoot 60 on the tour, Jamieson settled for par on the final hole when his 15-foot birdie chip grazed the edge of the hole and stayed out. After opening with rounds of 66 and 73 to make the cut by a stroke, he had 11 birdies in the bogey-free round. Steve Young Super Bowl Jersey . -- Eastern Kentucky thrives off creating havoc for others. Alabama heads into the postseason with a chance to become the third wire-to-wire champion in the history of The Associated Press college football poll.The Crimson Tide was No. 1 in the final AP Top 25 of the regular season Sunday, just as it has been since the preseason. Ohio State is No. 2, Clemson is No. 3 and Washington is No. 4.The College Football Playoff pairings were to be released later Sunday.Penn State was fifth, followed by Michigan, Oklahoma and Wisconsin.The Crimson Tide enters the postseason looking to win back-to-back championships and to join Florida State in 1999 and Southern California in 2004 as the only teams to be AP No. 1 from start to finish.Alabama would be the 12th team to win two straight AP championships.POLL POINTSUPWith so few teams playing on championship weekend, there was not much movement in the rankings.- Penn State jumped three spotss by winning the Big Ten title game.dddddddddddd- No. 7 Oklahoma moved up two after beating Oklahoma State to win the Big 12.- No. 18 Virginia Tech lost 42-35 to Clemson in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game and moved up one spot.DOWN- No. 20 Florida dropped five spots after getting blown out by Alabama in the Southeastern Conference title game.IN- No. 23 Temple beat Navy for the American Athletic Conference championship and moved into the rankings for the first time this season.OUT- Navy dropped out.CONFERENCE CALLBig Ten -- 6ACC -- 5Pac-12 -- 4SEC -- 4Big 12 -- 3American -- 2MAC -- 1---Follow Ralph D. Russo at www.Twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP---More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25 ' ' '