Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game
Nobody really had an outstanding individual game today, but Brandon Phillips did have an RBI triple to tie up the game, then scored on an Alex Gonzalez error. He also had a very nifty defensive play. Honorable mention goes to the Reds bullpen: Jordan Smith, Bill Bray, Nick Masset, and Francisco Cordero combined to give up only one hit and two walks in four scoreless innings.
But the Reds wouldn't have won without two key defensive miscues by Jason Heyward and Alex Gonzalez (though the latter did also score the Braves' only run). Without those plays, they may have never chased Tommy Hanson from the game. As it was, he pitched seven and a third innings, allowing five hits, one walk, and one earned run.
Key Plays
- Edinson Volquez somehow worked out of a ton of jams. He walked five and gave up three hits in five innings, but only one of those was a huge problem: an Alex Gonzalez solo HR in the second.
- The only other inning with runs scored was the fifth. Ramon Hernandez hit a one-out single. After Jonny Gomes lined out, Phillips hit one hard down the right field line. Heyward dove for it but it bounced past him, allowing Phillips to make it to third (even after admiring it in the batter's box). Ramon scored and the game was tied.
- That inning didn't end then, because Orlando Cabrera followed with a routine grounder to Gonzalez which he flubbed. Cabrera made it to first safely, and BP scored. Reds lead, 2-1.
- Volquez came out after throwing 96 pitches in five innings, but the bullpen held the lead. Even Cordero only allowed one hit and no walks to earn the save.
Other Notes
- The starting outfield of Nix in left, Heisey in center and Bruce in right was shaken up when Dusty double-switched Gomes in for Volquez. He went to left and Nix shifted to center. We all noticed this when Nix turned a Heyward single into a double with some pretty lackadaisical play in the ninth inning.
- According to the announcers, this three-game series set a record for the highest attendance in such a series in Great American Ball Park history.