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Cincinnati
Reds
NLDS sweep
eludes Reds, who fall in 10th
CINCINNATI- Since they came in holding a commanding 2-0 lead, it would
normally have been difficult to call a National League Division Series
Game 3 a must-win for the Reds. But considering the uncertainty with
their rotation, it might have been just that.
The Reds certainly hoped to avoid a Game 4, but that appointment is now
set following a 2-1 loss to the Giants in 10 innings on Tuesday night
at Great American Ball Park. Not only was a superb one-hit performance
by starter Homer Bailey rendered moot, missed opportunities bit
Cincinnati in the first inning, and shaky defense in the 10th cost the
Reds the go-ahead run.
It was Scott Rolen's error on Joaquin Arias' grounder to third base in
the 10th that scored Buster Posey. It wasn't a routine play but
normally a sure one for an eight-time Gold Glove winner. The grounder
took a high hop and handcuffed Rolen as it dinged off of his glove and
chest. He recovered, but his throw to first base was late.
"I don't think I would have played it any differently," Rolen said. "I
would have tried to catch it if I had the chance to do it again. With a
man on third there, it's kind of off the bat. It's not the ground ball
I wanted to see off the bat, so I just wanted to be aggressive and try
to make the play. It was kind of a do-or-die play."
Rolen has made an error in four of his last five postseason games,
going back to 2010.
"It was a tough play," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "The ball came up
on him at the last minute. This guy is one of the best. You got to give
the baserunner credit for hustling down the line at the same time. Most
guys, they're out on that ball. That was just a series of bad events."
As electricity from 44,501 fans filled Great American Ball Park hoping
for a series sweep by the Reds, losing reliever Jonathan Broxton took
over in the 10th with a 1-1 tie. Broxton gave up singles to Posey and
Hunter Pence to start the inning before getting back-to-back
strikeouts. Everything changed on the first pitch to Arias.
A two-seamed fastball skipped out of catcher Ryan Hanigan's glove and
went behind the plate as the runners advanced.
"It just ran more than I thought. It just took off on me, and I missed
it," Hanigan said.
Arias grounded the 1-2 pitch from Broxton in Rolen's direction. It
provided San Francisco's very first lead of the NLDS, and it saved its
season. The Giants' four runs in the series have come on a solo home
run, a wild pitch, a sacrifice fly and now an error.
"That's the playoffs," Broxton said. "It comes down to one play or one
at-bat."
Or in the Reds' case, perhaps also the first inning, when four of their
first five batters reached safely and the rally yielded their lone run.
Leading off against Giants starter Ryan Vogelsong, Brandon Phillips hit
a single to get it started. Phillips stole second base and
overzealously tried for third as the ball got behind the catcher Posey
on the play. Phillips was thrown out by a perfect throw from Posey.
"I've been doing that all year," Phillips said. "If the throw was a
little bit high, or a little bit wide or whatever, I would have been
safe. Buster Posey made a great throw. I'm an aggressive baserunner. If
I would have been safe, it would have been beautiful. But I wasn't.
Would I do it again? Yes I would."
Later in the rally, Jay Bruce's rolling two-out single through the
right side scored Zack Cozart for a 1-0 lead. But Rolen was called out
on strikes to end the inning, leaving the Reds wishing they did more.
"I knew I had to get through that first inning and keep them at one
[run]," Vogelsong said.
The rest of the night, the Reds managed only one infield hit, by Rolen
with two outs in the sixth.
"You never know when you're going to have a multitude of
opportunities," Reds first baseman Joey Votto said. "In hindsight, I
suppose, it would have been nice to have scored a few more runs. We
didn't know how close the game would end up. Kudos to Ryan Vogelsong."
On a night that had former Reds pitcher and perfect-game thrower Tom
Browning toss a ceremonial first pitch before the game, and 12 days and
two starts removed from Bailey throwing his own no-hitter on Sept. 28
at Pittsburgh, Bailey flirted with another. This time, he kept the
Giants hitless for 5 2/3 innings.
Marco Scutaro connected on a 2-2 fastball for a softly lined single
into right field to snap the no-hit bid. Bailey, who was moved up from
Game 4 to Game 3 as the rotation adjusted due to Johnny Cueto's oblique
injury, finished with just that one hit, one walk, one hit batsman and
tied a career high with 10 strikeouts.
Read the rest of the article at Cincinnati Reds
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