Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game
Brian Schneider. He didn't do much, but he did it when it counted. A walk off home run in the bottom of the twelfth won the game for the Phillies. Honorable Mentions go to Shane Victorino, Wilson Valdez, Joey Votto, and Miguel Cairo.
Key Plays
- Joey Votto did what we all hoped he would do and homered off of Kyle Kendrick in the first inning, just to show Charlie Manuel how foolish he was. Reds lead, 1-0.
- Shane Victorino homered off of Johnny Cueto in the bottom of the first, though. Game tied, 1-1.
- Some comic/tragic baseball took place in the third inning. After striking out the first two batters, Cueto walked Jimmy Rollins, and then Shane Victorino hit a sharp grounder to first base. Joey Votto knocked it into foul territory, and his throw took the covering Johnny Cueto into the basepath, where Victorino knocked Cueto's glove off, and the ball away. The ball caromed back to Votto who tried to pick off Victorino, who had taken a turn. He threw to the bare-handed Cueto, but Victorino slid hard into the bag, and Cueto dropped the ball again. Meanwhile, Rollins had come all the way around to score from first base. Phillies lead, 2-1.
- In the fifth inning, Jay Bruce led off with a double and moved to third base on Laynce Nix's flyout. With a runner on third and one out, Dusty called for the squeeze bunt. Drew Stubbs popped it into the air. Kyle Kendrick caught the ball and doubled off Bruce at third base.
- The Reds also had a leadoff double from Corky Miller in the sixth, and after Johnny Cueto bunted him to third, Brandon Phillips and Orlando Cabrera failed to drive him in.
- Drew Stubbs and Corky Miller got one singles off of Ryan Madson in the eighth inning. Pinch hitter Chris Heisey struck out, and so did Brandon Phillips, but his third strike was a wild pitch. He ran to first safely, and with no one covering home, Drew Stubbs was able to come in to score the tying run. Game tied, 2-2.
- In the bottom of the eighth, Wilson Valdez led off with a triple against Nick Masset. Masset gamely struck out Brian Schneider, but then was relieved by Arthur Rhodes. Rhodes walked the first batter he face, pinch hitter Ben Francisco. Then Jimmy Rollins hit a fly ball that was deep enough to allow Valdez to score. Phillies lead, 3-2.
- The Reds had to put something together against Brad Lidge. Newly minted All-Star Joey Votto led off the ninth with a single, and slightly older All-Star Scott Rolen followed with a walk. Sadly, Jay Bruce grounded into a double play, leaving the game in the hands of pinch hitter Miguel Cairo. Who hit a double! Votto scored, and the game was tied, 3-3.
- Neither team threatened much in the extra innings until Brian Schneider hit a home run with one out in the bottom of the twelfth. It was his third home run all year. Phillies win, 4-3.
Other Notes
- Bill Bray struck out Raul Ibanez and Ryan Howard in the bottom of the ninth. That's fairly badass. In fact, Ibanez went just 1-5, and "All-Star" Ryan Howard was hitless, with no walks.
- This was the first extra inning road game the Reds have lost since June of last year. They'd won their previoius nine.
- Votto's home run widened his lead in the NL. He is one behind Toronto's Jose Bautista, who has 23. Former Red Josh Hamilton also has 22 home runs for the Rangers.