Rockies 6, Reds 5 - Cincinnati loses on walk-off wild pitch

The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Joey Votto launched a game-tying solo dinger in the Top of the 9th as part of yet another three hit day, and the Cincinnati Reds 1B beat whatever shifts the Colorado Rockies had in store in style.  Votto entered Friday evening's game having gone a billion for a million with a pair of dingers since the All Star Game - for which he was bypassed by fans, coaches, & players - and he kept that on display while the Reds disintegrated yet again.

Honorable Mentions are due to:  Tucker Barnhart, who went 1 for 1 with a very Hanigany 3 walks; Marlon Byrd, who walked, tripled, and scored twice; and Anthony DeSclafani, who threw 4 no-hit innings to begin the game before finishing with 3 ER in 7 IP, a very solid Coors Field start for the rookie.

Key Plays

• The Reds scored 3 in the Top of the 4th to begin the scoring, as doubles from Brandon Phillips and Todd Frazier scored 1 and a later double from Ivan De Jesus (after Byrd walked) scored 2.  Reds led, 3-0.
• Disco's 5th went to heck quickly when Nick Hundley tripled in a run, but the Reds caught a break later that inning when an extra-base hit that should've scored several Rockies blew up when pitcher Eddie Butler fell while running the bases and - in very Dusty Baker Honorary High-Five fashion - clogged up all the runners on the bases behind him and made an out.  Rockies scored 2 in the inning, though, and the Reds then led, 3-2.
• Carlos Gonzalez bashed a dinger to tie the game in the Bottom of the 6th, and Skip Schumaker matched it with an RBI triple to LF in the Top of the 8th, but a suddenly struggling J.J. Hoover allowed a game-tying CarGo dinger in the Bottom of the 8th and later let another run in to put Colorado ahead, 5-4.
• Votto took the plate with 1-out in the Top of the 9th, and he proceeded to crush what he thought was just a double the opposite way, but it just cleared the LF fence for a game-tying solo blast.  unfortunately, the Reds Reds'd away the game in the Bottom of the 9th, as a Charlie Blackmon bunt single, steal of 2B (after review), advance on a sacrifice, and awareness to take home on a wild pitch made the difference.  Reds lost, 6-5.