Home Run Heisey and Johnny Cueto Give Yankees A Pain In The Neck Win 10-2

Chris Heisey hit three home runs and Jonny Gomes smashed another while Johnny Cueto had the New York Yankees by the throat.

Heisey led off the game with a home run off Brian Gordon.  Hit a two-run home run in the fifth.  Heisey became the 27th different Reds player to slam three in a game.  The Reds have done it 32 times.

"I definitely wasn't trying to hit a home run on any of the three," Heisey said.  "I've never hit one when I was trying to.  I was seeing the ball and had a good swing.  I was getting pitches to hit.  The last couple weeks, I've been swinging at pitches out of the zone and getting myself out.  When you get a hit in your first at bat, it takes the pressure off the rest of the day.  It relaxes you."


Heisey remembered hitting three in a game his sophomore or junior year at Messiah College in Grantham, Pennsylvania.

"There was no one to interview me there," Heisey said. 

Heisey kept the same approach batting leadoff after talking to Baker.  He has no preference for a spot in the batting order.

"Dusty talked to me about leading off.  He told me not to try to see more pitches or anything, just stay aggressive.  That's when I'm at my best.  When you are aggressive you see pitches better.  When you're tentative you end up taking good pitches to hit."

Cueto dominated the fabled Yankees.  Nick Swisher home run was one of the two hits that Cueto gave up in his seven innings.

Cueto's start was delayed for two days.  He was scratched Monday, suffering from a stiff neck.  Rain pushed him back a second day.   Swisher led off the second with his eighth home run on the first pitch but Cueto retired 15 of the next 16 batters before Alex Rodriguez led off the seventh with a single.  The lone baserunner was Gordon, the opposing pitcher , who walked.

"The extra day helped me with my neck," Cueto said.  "I'm tired now but I felt good during the game.  I was feeling too strong at the beginning of the game.  I was overthrowing a little bit.  I'm learning something new everyday in the big leagues.  I knew Cano, Rodriguez and Posada was going to hit.  I like the challenge. I took a deep breath and tried to do my job."

Cueto changed his delivery slightly, turning his back to the hitter.  It made the ball harder to pick up.

"I've been doing that but today I was doing it more.  It's crazy.  When I release the ball, I couldn't see the hitter.  I wanted to try something different.  I'm hiding the ball good.  It's tough for the hitter to see the ball but my release point was the same."

Heisey, starting in center field, hit a two-run home run off Gordon with Paul Janish on base.  Janish had two hits in the game.

"Heisey came through big time. I'm happy for him," Dusty Baker said.  "We had some big offensive nights.  Gomes had a big night.  Janish had a big night.  Rolen had a huge night. Maybe our offense will start rolling now.  Before we couldn't buy a run.  Tonight we were getting them at will."

The 4-1 lead looked tenuous in the seventh after Rodriguez opened with his single. Cueto issued a pass to Swisher. Russel Martin struck out swinging on a 3-2 pitch for the first out.  Pinch hitter Robinson Cano grounded wide of first but Cueto couldn't hold onto the feed by Joey Votto.  Ramiro Pena hit a one hopper to Votto who forced Rodriguez at home.  Cueto squelched the threat by getting Game One hero, Jorge Posada to ground out to Brandon Phillips.

"Cueto was in trouble and they're bringing Robinson Cano and Jorge Posada off the bench.  It seems like they have 28 players.  Johnny has matured big time as a pitcher and as a man," Baker said.  "He had bases loaded with those guys up then had a defensive miscue.  He wasn't panicking or getting frustrated.  He was just pitching."


Baseball Voices

 The Reds padded its lead against Hector Noesi.  With one out Miguel Cairo singled.  Janish singled for the second time.  Scott Rolen came off the bench and doubled down the left field line to score Cairo.  Janish was cut down at the plate on a ground ball to short by Heisey.  Rolen scored when Heisey hustled into second when Phillips hit a ball that shortstop, Eduardo Nunez fielded in the hole. Votto single sharply to left to load the bases.  Noesi hit Jay Bruce to force in the Reds seventh run.

Bill Bray started the eighth and got two outs but walked Curtis Granderson.  Bray struck out Mark Teixeira then gave way to Nick Masset.  Rodriguez doubled off the fence to the Reds bullpen.  Granderson scored.  Masset caught Swisher looking to end the inning.

Ramon Hernandez singled to start the ninth.  Drew Stubbs beat a relay on an attempted double play, stole second and advanced on a deep fly to center by Janish.  Rolen drove Stubbs in with a single and waltzed home on Heisey's third blast.

Nick Masset closed it out to avoid the sweep of the series by the Yankees. The Reds head to Baltimore on a winning note after a day off.