Reds Drop an 11 Inning Game to Kansas City, 6-5

Kansas City Royals manager, Ned Yost has been to Great American Ball Park before.  He knows the lay of the land from his stint as the Milwaukee Brewers manager.

"No lead is safe ever. And on the reverse their lead is never safe. The ball really carries in this park when it gets hot ," Yost told Kansas City writers, who have never been here before.

The Cincinnati Reds, who are the tenents in GABP, jumped out to a 4-0 lead.  They got a pair of infield hits sandwhiched around a sacrifice by Brandon Phillips and a  base-advancing ground out to score one in the first.  A leadoff double by Jay Bruce followed by run scoring singles by Drew Stubbs and Corky Miller, his first since being recalled, pushed the advantage to 3-0 in the second.  Bruce blasted his ninth home run of the season, leading off the fourth.

Bronso Arroyo  allowed just one hit over the first four frames until Yost's proficy came true.

Former Red Jose Guillen singled to start the fifth.  Alberto Callapso singled right after Guillen, who scored on Yuniesky Betancourt's double.  Callapso was trapped off third on Chris Getz bouncer to Joey Votto. but Scott Podsednik singled to plate Betancourt.  Catcher Jason Kendall grounded a hight bouncing ball up the middle that Orlando Cabrera speared and tossed to Brandon Phillips, whose relay did not get to first in time to double up Kendall.  Firstbase umpire Tim Welke started the out sign but quickly threw up the safe signal.  The replay backed up his final answer.  Arroyo got out of the inning with a 4-3 lead.

Betancourt hit a two-run home run off Arroyo in the fifth.  It left Kansas City with an unsafe lead to protect.

"It was I shouldn't have given up and it hurt us, especially with the command I had and the few pitches I made," Arroyo said. 

"Betancourt killed us," Baker said.  "He drove in almost all their runs (4)."

Kyle Farnsworth and Robinson Tejeda were up to the task, throwing three scoreless innings.

Blake Wood wasn't up to it.  Phillips extended his hitting streak with a ground single to center.   He stole second, his ninth as Votto walked.  Scott Rolen hit a ball to deep left center but Phillips didn't get a good read on it and had to settle for third as Scott Podsednik, couldn't quite reach it for the catch.  Jonny Gomes fouled out to the Kendall but Bruce hit a sacrifice fly to center to tie the game at 5.

Francisco Cordero set down the Royals easily in the top of the ninth.

Kanekoa Texeira was the Royals choice in the bottom of the ninth.

Pinch hitter, Laynec Nix singled to right.  Pinch hitter, Ramon Hernandez bunted him to secondbase.  Nix went to third on Cabrera's grounder to short. Phillips walked.

Yost brought in his lone lefthander, Dusty Hughes to face Votto, who lifted a fly to center to end the threat, sending the game to extra innings.

The Reds were 5-1 and the Royals 3-2 in OT.

Daniel Ray Herrera blanked the Royals in the 10th.

The Royals countered with Victor Marte.

Rolen singled to start the 10th.  Gomes singled.  Bruce popped foul to the shortstop..Stubbs struck out looking.  Miguel Cairo hit for Herrera.  Cairo forced Gomes at second with a ground ball to short.

Micah Owings the long man was called on in the 11th.  He walked Billy Butler and Brayan Pena with one out.  Callaspo flied to shallow right.  Betancourt singled to score Butler as the throw was cut by Votto to get Pena for the third out. 

"I thought we had a chance at Butler at the plate," Baker said.  "He doesn't run that well and he made a wide turn at third.  I don't know if Joey saw that but Pena was not the winning run."

Baker clearly thought the throw should have gone through.  Hernandez threw up his arms from his catching position as Butler scored.

Marte warmed up on the mound because their closer, Joakim Soria was the last pitcher left besides starters.  Yost decided to make the switch though before Hernandez led off the 11th.

"I was going to have Marte go two or three innings if it was tied.  When we went ahead, I had to use the closer to finish it," Yost said.  "I would have had a position player pitch if they tied it. It was typical National League baseball."

Hernandez singled and Cabrera bunted him to second.  Phillips singled again but the slow footed Hernandez had to stop at third.  Votto fouled out to third on the first pitch, leaving it up to Rolen to get the run home.  He stepped in with four singles in five at bats.  But he lined hard to left to end the contest.

"Soria throws a lot of double plays," Baker said.  "We couldn't afford a double play in that situation.  It almost work we had runners on first and third with one out.  We just couldn't get them in.  We've been so good at that lately."


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Notes:


Brandon Phillips extended his hitting streak to 14 games.  It is the longest active streak in the major leagues.