Jimmy Rollins hit a two-run homer and Cliff Lee threw seven sharp innings for the Phillies, who've won four of five.
Joey Votto hit a tying solo homer off Antonio Bastardo in the eighth, and Jay Bruce connected for a two-run shot for Cincinnati.
Lee gave up two runs and six hits, striking out seven. Justin De Fratus (2-0) got two batters out in the eighth and Jonathan Papelbon finished for his eighth save in eight tries.
Reds rookie starter Tony Cingrani allowed three runs and five hits in five innings.
After Cincinnati tied it in the eighth, the Phillies answered in the bottom half against Sean Marshall (0-1). Michael Young worked his third walk of the game with one out. Ryan Howard followed with a check-swing, infield single. Jonathan Broxton came in and hit Delmon Young to load the bases.
Brown then hit a grounder up the middle that shortstop Zack Cozart fielded on the second base side. Second baseman Brandon Phillips tried to barehand Cozart's flip and dropped it for an error. Young crossed the plate with the go-ahead run and Howard scored on a headfirst dive on Carlos Ruiz's sacrifice fly for a 5-3 lead.
The Reds closed to 3-2 when Bruce connected in the sixth after Phillips led off with a double.
They tied it when Votto took Bastardo deep to right-center leading off the eighth. Bastardo, who normally works the seventh, was pitching in the setup role because Mike Adams is day to day with a mid-back strain.
Bastardo left after Bruce hit a one-out single. De Fratus came in and nearly gave up a go-ahead extra-base hit to Todd Frazier, but right fielder Delmon Young made a leaping catch at the warning track.
Rollins blasted a 3-1 pitch out to left to put the Phillies up 2-0 in the third inning. He is batting .375 (9 for 24) in his last six games.
Lee, a good-hitting pitcher, helped himself with a leadoff double in the bottom of the fifth. Lee knocks balls out of the park routinely in batting practice, and just missed his third career homer when his drive to right bounced high off the wall. He hustled into second after trotting down the first-base line, and appeared slightly annoyed the ball didn't go out.
Lee advanced to third on a sacrifice by Rollins and scored on Michael Young's two-out triple to deep left-center for a 3-0 lead.
The Reds had chances in the first two innings, but couldn't get a key hit. Lee stranded five runners, striking out Cozart to leaves the bases loaded in the second.
NOTES: An MRI revealed a strain in the middle of Adams' back. ... The Phillies recalled RHP B.J. Rosenberg from Triple-A Lehigh Valley and optioned LHP Raul Valdes down. ... Rollins is tied with Chase Utley for the team lead with 16 extra-base hits. ... The Reds are 8-3 on the road since losing eight in a row away from home in April. ... Frazier is hitless in his last 19 at-bats. ... Cincinnati swept a three-game series at home vs. the Phillies last month. .. Bronson Arroyo (3-4, 3.76 ERA) takes the mound for the Reds against Kyle Kendrick (4-1, 2.47 ERA) on Saturday afternoon.
