The Indians Save Face Bop Reds, 5-3

Mitch Talbot and Shin-Soo Choo allowed the Cleveland Indians to salvage a little pride in the Ohio Cup Finale beating the NL Central leading Cincinnati Reds, 5-3

Choo hit a pair of home runs off Bronson Arroyo, who lost for the second time in nine decisions.  He hit four home runs off Arroyo this season.  He was 5-for-6 this year and is now 6-for-12 for his career against the Reds ace.

The Reds five-game winning streak was snapped and the Indians seven-game losing streak ended.  The Reds won the Ohio Cup series, 4-2 and Choo was chosen the Most Outstanding Player.

Talbot had a big hand in it too.  He allowed three hits and three walks in seven innings.  Only daring baserunning by Brandon Phillips let the Reds see the plate during Talbot's stint.

Choo homered in the first off Arroyo.

"He was 3-2," Arroyo said.  "I didn't want to walk him.  I threw a pitch middle in.  I put it just where I wanted  but he hit it out."

Phillips got the run back by scoring from secondbase on a force play at second.  Phillips opened the bottom of the first with a single to right.  With one out Joey Votto worked a walk, reaching base at least once in each of the last 35 games.  Scott Rolen hit a hard ground ball that thirdbaseman, Jhonny Peralta fielded in the hole and forced Votto.  Phillips never stopped.  He scored when Jayson Nix's throw home was in plenty of time but short hopped catcher, Carlos Santana.

Talbot stifled the Reds from then on.

"None of our guys had every seen him," Dusty Baker said.  "We didn't see him in spring training or anything.  We didn't have a lot of good swings against him.  He hides the ball real well.  Our guys had trouble telling whether the pitch was a fastball or breaking ball."

Choo hit a three-run home run that proved to be the lethal blow off Arroyo in the fifth.

"That was a terrible pitch," Arroyo said.  "It was supposed to be four inches outside and I pulled it.  It ended up right down the middle.  He hit three different pitches off me for home runs.  He definitely feels comfortable against me."

"We didn't lose the game," Baker said.  "Talbot and Choo just beat us.  When a guy has your number like Choo did with Bronson, you try different things.  Most of the time, that's when you make a mistake."

Rookie Santana hit his second home run of the series off Daniel Ray Herrera in the eighth but Votto made it a game with a two-run blast of Chris Perez in the home half.

Kerry Wood blew away Jay Bruce, Drew Stubbs and Laynce Nix on strikes in the ninth for his sixth save.  His pitches were in the mid-90's.

The irony is that in some uneducated circles, Dusty Baker has been blamed for ruining Wood's arm.  The big Texan, who pitched for the Cubs and came down with arm troubles while Baker managed him in Chicago, vehemently disagrees.  They have remained friends.

Choo edged Laynce Nix in the less than prestigious Most Outstanding Player award that has been invented for this interleague, intrastate rivalry.  The Indians media guide notes that Choo has won awards before.  As a high school player in Jnamgu in the Pusan province of Korea won the Most Valuable Player and "Best Pitcher" in that countrie's President's Cup competition.  It is the most prestigious high school tournament in Korea.  In the six games of the series, Choo hit .391 with four home runs (all off Arroyo) and seven RBI.

The Reds finished interleague play with an 8-7 ledger.  The Indians conclude its National League stint with a 5-12 mark.

"Interleague play has not been kind to us," Cleveland manager Manny Acta said.

The Reds held first as another player of  Korean descent Bruce Chen defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in Kansas City, 10-3.  Chen pitched briefly for the Reds.