Opting for the path of most resistance, Reds win 12-11.

Wow.  Just wow.  Let's dive in.

Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Joey Votto.  Jo-eh showed why he is an MVP by going 4-7 with two home runs, four RBI, and two runs scored, and drove in the winning run to boot.  The man comes up big repeatedly in the biggest situations.  Several players have done well this season, but make no mistake.  It's because of Votto that we're leading the division.  Honorable mentions go to Francisco Cordero, Nick Masset, Pablo Sandoval, Juan Uribe, and Jonny Gomes.  Ok, and after reading the game thread, Paul Janish, too.  That WPA is impressive. 

Key Plays 

• The Reds flipped the script on the Giants this time and were the ones scoring tons of runs in the first inning.  Brandon Phillips led off with a single and stole second, but it didn't matter because Joey Votto hit a home run.  Then Jonny Gomes hit a home run.  Then Ryan Hanigan hit a home run.  Reds lead, 4-0.
• Former Red Jose Guillen singled with one out in the second inning, followed by a single by Pablo Sandoval.  Then Freddy Sanchez singled and was safe at second when Paul Janish dropped the throw.  Guillen scored on the play, and the Reds lead, 4-1.
• The third inning unfolded a bit like a farce.  With two outs, Scott Rolen doubled, then scored when Jonny Gomes singled.  Ryan Hanigan walked, but then ran around the bases when Drew Stubbs hit a triple.  Stubbs himself scored when Madison Bumgarner threw a wild pitch while he was trying to intentionally walk Paul Janish.  Buster Posey played the carom perfectly, and his throw to Bumgarner beat Stubbs, but when the pitcher tried to show his glove to the umpire, the ball fell out.  Safe!  Reds lead, 8-1.
• Joey Votto hit his second home run of the game and 31st of the season in the fourth inning, this time off Ramon Ramirez.  Reds lead, 9-1.
• With two outs in the fifth, Ramirez walked Drew Stubbs and Paul Janish.  Homer Bailey then singled and Stubbs scored.  Reds lead, 10-1.
• The game seemed locked away, but it was only halfway done.  In the bottom of the fifth, Mike Fontenot walked and Andres Torres singled.  Bailey recovered to get two outs, but then gave up a single to Pat Burrell that drove in the baserunners.  Reds lead, 10-3.
• Homer Bailey gave up a one out single to Juan Uribe in the sixth inning.  Then pinch hitter Nate Schierholtz doubled to put runners on second and third.  Bill Bray came in to relieve Bailey, then bounced his first pitch several feet in front of the plate and Uribe scored.  Schierholtz also moved up, then scored on Mike Fontenot's ground out.  Reds lead, 10-5.
• Logan Ondrusek pitched the eighth inning, his second inning of work, and everything imploded.  Guillen singled.  Sandoval singled.  Uribe homered.  Arthur Rhodes came in, but wasn't any more effective.  Cody Ross singled.  Mike Fontenot singled.  Andres Torres doubled to score two runs.  Five runs in, a tie ballgame, and still no outs.  Buster Posey then flew out to right field and Torres tagged and went to third.  Aubrey Huff hit a ball deep enough to right field and Torres scored.  The comeback was complete.  Giants lead, 11-10.
• After that gut punch of an inning, the Reds had one last chance.  With one out, Drew Stubbs hit a grounder to third and raced down the first base line.  Pablo Sandoval threw the ball high and Stubbs was safe at second on the error.  Then Paul Janish singled and Stubbs flew around the bases with the game tying run as Janish moved to second on the throw.  Giants closer Brian Wilson intentionally walked Jay Bruce, which proved to be a smart move.  Pinch hitter Miguel Cairo grounded into a double play.  Game tied, 11-11.
• Nick Masset and Francisco Cordero kept the Giants from regaining the lead by pitching masterfully for three innings.  Then in the twelfth inning, Paul Janish got things started with a single off of Barry Zito.  Jay Bruce eschewed the bunt and popped up to third, but Miguel Cairo hit a double.  Had Bruce bunted Janish over to second, he would have scored.  As it stood, there were runners on second and third.  Chris Heisey grounded to the shortstop Uribe, who threw home and nailed Janish at the plate.  But then Joey Votto stepped to the plate and walloped a single.  Cairo scored and the Reds had the lead back.  Zito intentionally walked Scott Rolen to load the bases and Francisco Cordero hit for himself.  There were no other relievers available, so Cordero would have to bat and then pitch a second inning to preserve the win.  He flew out, but then slammed the door on the Giants in the bottom of the inning.  Reds win, 12-11.

via www.fangraphs.com

Other Notes

• After Joey Votto's second home run, the Reds had a 98.5% win expectancy.  It was up to 98.8% in the top of the eighth.  By the bottom of the eighth, it was the Giants who had a win expectancy of 85.4%, and a high of 95.1% with one out in the top of the ninth.  So at one point, both teams had a higher than 95% chance of winning the game.
• Joey Votto is the first Reds first baseman to hit 31 home runs in a season since Lee May hit 39 in 1971.
• Jonny Gomes hit his 100th career home run.  You may have heard something about that.  It was his first since July 19.
• Reds pitchers allowed at least eleven runs in each of the games against San Francisco.  Homer Bailey lasted 5.1 innings, which was more than both Edinson Volquez and Travis Wood - combined.
• Freddy Sanchez went 9-11 in the series.
• The Giants made five errors.  Paul Janish made an error for the third game in a row.
• The Giants used eight pitchers.
• The Reds finished this West Coast road trip with a 6-3 record.  The series against the Giants was brutal, but any of us would have taken that result going into our trip out west.
• The Atlanta Braves also blew a 10-1 lead, to the Colorado Rockies, but they lost their game.  They and the Reds now have identical 73-54 records, second only to San Diego's for best in the National League.