Reds Drop a Close One to St. Louis 4-3

It had to end sometime.  The Reds starters threw 21 consecutive innings of shutdown, shutout baseball until "That Man"  Albert Pujols ended it with a two-run home run off starting pitcher, Aaron Harang.

And I still say pitch to him.  They are the Cincinnati Reds, not the Yellows.

Pujols was backed up by a two-run home run hit by Ryan Ludwick two innings later.

The five game-winning streak, the string of three consecutive quality starts by Harang also fell victim to the long balls.  Neither were 400 ft. blasts.  In fact they had more altitude than longitude.

Great American Ball Park is generous to home run hitters.

"I've given up enough of those and seen enough of those (fence scrapping home runs)," Harang said.  "You're going to give up home runs but you hope they are solo.  But (Cody) Rasmus did a good job (pulling a double that bounced over a diving Joey Votto's glove)."

Harang got a nervous chuckle out of the lack of length on Ludwick's fly and later was amused at rightfielder Jay Bruce's reaction.

After the ball ticked off Bruce's glove, the glove went crashing to the warning track at about 95 mph.  Bruce threw his glove in frustration.

"I probably shouldn't have thrown it," Bruce said.  "I feel like if it hits my glove, I should catch it."

"I didn't think either would go out," Harang said.  "I threw Pujols a high pitch.  I've done it too him before and got him to pop it up.  I threw the same pitch in the same location in his next at bat.  He fouled it off and I struck him out."

Pujols was 1-for-4 and struck out twice.  See folks.  He is mortal just like the rest of us.

"That's the way our park it.  Aaron got two balls up and it cost us four runs.  If the pitches were down maybe they don't go out," Dusty Baker said.

But the Reds rallied.  The game ended with the tying run personified by Drew Stubbs on second base.

Stubbs, who was struggling under .200 coming into the contest, drove in all three Reds runs.

He showed that Jaime Garcia, who had not allowed a home run this season to mar his 1.18 ERA, was human too.  He showed disgust as Stubbs seventh inning home run to the Reds bullpen scored Jonny Gomes ahead of him.  Gomes had three hits, including an infield hit that started the Reds' ninth.

Former Red, Ryan Franklin started the ninth with intent to save the game for Garcia.

It wasn't easy.

With Gomes on second after indifference put him there, Bruce dumped a single into short center.  Stubbs speed allowed him to beat the double play relay.  That scored Gomes.  Ryan Hanigan singled.  Chris Heisey ran for Hanigan.

Then came the questions as Ramon Hernandez, who was 3-for-21 against Franklin came on to hit.  What?

Why not lefhander hitting Laynce Nix?  Nix has four hits in 16 at bats against Franklin.

"Nix couldn't swing the bat today," Baker said.  "It's getting better.  He's had it for a couple days. Hopefully, he will be better tomorrow or the day after,"

Hernandez hard ground ball was turned into a game ending double play and the fireworks music was cued.

"We had a chance.  That is what you want," Baker said.

The Reds fell a game and a half behind the Cardinals, who were swept at home by Houston in a three-game series.  The Reds have lost five of the seven games between them.

"To get into first place we have to beat them.  We've had a lot of close games against them.  We can beat them.  We're a good team.  I'd put us up against anyone.  We've been playing good baseball.  We were one swing away.  It's been that way all season.  The pitchers kept us in the ball game.  Garcia's been pitching really well.  It was a good game."