Reds Reserves Rally to 7-4 Win

Dusty Baker is treating the last two games of the season as if it is spring training.  He wants to keep players sharp yet give them rest.


The starters including Homer Bailey the pitcher, worked five innings then took a seat.


The Reds starters built a 4-1 lead with two home runs by Jay Bruce.  After he struck out four times in last night's game, Ken Macha of the Brewers ordered him walked as the winning run in the ninth inning last night.


He should have followed the same strategy today as Bruce hit two home runs, a two-run job in third and a disputed solo home run in the fifth.  It was Bruce's fifth two-home run game of the season.  A fan appeared to interfere with Lorenzo Cain's attempt to catch the drive but a replay examination upheld umpire Sam Holbrook's initial call.


Jordan Smith, who is trying to earn a postseason roster spot coughed up the lead in the seventh after working a scoreless sixth.


He hit Ryan Braun and walked Prince Fielder.  Casey McGehee launched a game-tying upper deck home run to cost Bailey his fifth victory.


Bailey was decent in his five innings, six hits and one run but took 120 pitches to navigate his five frames.


The Reds took the lead back for good in the eighth.


Supersub, Miguel Cairo singled off former Red, Todd Coffey.  Yonder Alonso doubled, his second hit of the game off the gate to the Reds bullpen to score Cairo.  Corky Miller blasted a long home run to centerfield.


Logan Ondrusek got the win with 2/3 of an inning to go 5-0 on the year.  Francisco Cordero gave up one hit but faced just three batters for his 39th save.


The Reds reached the 90 win mark with the victory a number that Baker says is significant.


"Now we join all the division leaders and playoff teams that have 90-plus. That was big. In spring training, usually that's my goal every year but especially this year. Most of the time if you can get to 90, you'll be somewhere in the playoff hunt. You've usually got a pretty good chance for something between 90-95. Usually 90 is that magic number. Then you start thinking back on things and you're saying, 'Hey, man, this team has the potential next year of achieving that magic 100 even, 10 more games.' You're happy where you are, but as a manager you always want more."