Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game
Laynce Nix. Any time you hit a walk off home run in extra innings, you get named JNMHSotG. Honorable mentions go to Mike Leake, Arthur Rhodes, and Nick Masset. Drew Stubbs and Orlando Cabrera had good days at the plate, but their errors were responsible for the Mets runs.
Key Plays
- Drew Stubbs homered to lead off the game. Light Tower Power! Reds lead, 1-0.
- With two outs in the second inning, Ike Davis hit a ball to centerfield that Stubbs misplayed. Davis wound up on second, then scored when Jeff Francoeur singled. Game tied, 1-1.
- In the fifth inning, Mike Leake battled Oliver Perez, and ended up drawing a walk. Drew Stubbs hit a check swing chopper to second and beat out the throw for an infield hit. Then Joey Votto singled up the middle and Leake scored to give his team the lead. Reds lead, 2-1.
- Leake had retired nine straight batters, but then walked Luis Castillo in the sixth. He nearly picked him off first, but Castillo slid wide and Votto couldn't apply the tag. Then Castillo took off for second, and Ramon Hernandez made a great throw, but it bounced off of Orlando Cabrera's glove and bounced into the outfield. Castillo ended up on third, and scored when Jose Reyes doubled. Game tied, 2-2.
- The Reds nearly answered in the bottom of the inning when Cabrera walked and went to third on Ramon Hernandez's single. With runners on the corners and two outs, Dusty Baker elected to use a pinch hitter, even though Mike Leake has looked extremely good at the plate. And he elected to use Miguel Cairo, even though Jay Bruce was available on the bench. Cairo flied out to left field, which was impressive because he got the ball out of the infield.
- Baker's bullpen use has come into question, and the seventh inning was a good illustration why. Danny Ray Herrera started the inning, but gave up a leadoff double to Ike Davis. Mike Lincoln then came in and got two outs, and Arthur Rhodes retired pinch hitter Fernando Tatis to end the inning. No runs allowed, but three relievers used in one inning in a game that would eventually go to extras. Do the results justify the method?
- In the eleventh inning, pinch hitter Laynce Nix hit a walk off home run. Reds win, 3-2.
Other Notes
- Stubbs's leadoff homer was the first by a Red this year. It was the first time the Reds have had home runs to begin and end the game since May 28, 2006 when Ryan Freel and Javier Valentin accomplished the feat.
- Chris Heisey made his major league debut, playing in place of Jay Bruce. Unlike Bruce, he went hitless in his debut, but he did make a nice catch in right field, and another dive where he stopped a ball on a short hop.
- The Reds are 3-0 in extra innings, and have won 8 of their 13 victories in their last at-bat.
- Today is Homer Bailey's birthday.