Bizarre Ending to Reds 3-2 Win Over Colorado

No one has ever seen an ending like that before, not Dusty Baker, not Francisco Cordero, not Hal McCoy in his 39 years of baseball coverage and certainly not rookie Todd Frazier.

The Reds were holding a 3-2 lead with Cordero working the ninth inning. Pinch runner Eric Young Jr. stole third even though the Reds were aware he might try it with one out.

"How do you stop him?' Baker asked.  "We were aware he might try.  We were keeping him close and he still made it."

Dexter Fowler the next hitter hit a ball back to the box.  Cordero stabbed it and caught Young in a run down.  They got young but he stayed alive long enough for Fowler to reach scoring position.  "EY was running on contact," Jim Tracy said.

That play was strange enough but the last out of the game was just plain bizarre. Speedy Chris Nelson topped a Cordero pitch down the thirdbase line where rookie Todd Frazier, hero of the Tom's River Little League World Champion, is stationed.  The ball hugged the line.  Suspense mounted whether it would be fair or foul.  There was no chance to throw Nelson out.

For some unexplained reason Fowler was coming to third.  Frazier fielded the fair ball right at the bag and applied a quick tag to Fowler.  Umpire Lance Barksdale raised his arm with clutched fist for the out call.

Game over.

"We got caught a lot of breaks tonight and its about time," Baker said. "I've never seen a game end like that before."

Frazier hung with the ball.

"I was hoping it would go foul but it kicked fair at the last minute.  Once I caught it I made a quick tag," Frazier said.  "I was smiling like, 'Did that just happen?'"

Frazier swore that he had never practiced that play before with a grin.

The Reds hit three solo home runs off Kevin Millwood, who the Rockies signed after the Boston Red Sox released him from their Pawtucket team.  "He brings a whole lot of knowhow," Tracy said.

Millwood gave up six hits in seven innings but line shots by Edgar Renteria (4), Jay Bruce (23) and Joey Votto (18) left the yard.

"He doesn't throw as hard as he used to but he had good command low and away,"Baker said.  "He knows how to pitch."

Mike Leake on the other hand was touched for 11 hits but just two runs in 7 1/3 innings.  He issued just one walk and struck out five.  More importantly his sinker was very good.  Most of the 11 hits were merely ground balls that found holes.  He got four double play ground balls in the mix.

"The pitcher's best friend," Baker said.

"I had to go out there and battle.  I got a lot of defense behind me," said Leake, who extended his career high to 10 wins.  "I gave up a lot of two strike hits but my sinker was getting ground balls.  (Carlos) Gonzalez hit three of them (two were DP grounders).  I was glad he didn't hit it in the air. They probably hit three balls real hard."

One was Troy Tulowitzki's nightly home run.  It was his 23rd.

Fowler single home Chris Iannetta, who hit a double, one of the other hard hit balls off Leake.

Cordero gave up a one-out pinch hit double to Eliezer Alfonzo.  Young ran for him to create the dramatic last scene of the game.

When Fowler hit the ball back through the box, Cordero had one thought. "Catch the ball," Cordero said.  "Then I just ran at him (Young).  I have never seen a game end like that."

The save was Cordero's 311th of his career. He passed Hall of Famer, Rich Gossage and tied Tom Henke for 17th all-time.

"That's big for me,"Cordero said.  "It shows that I've been working hard and doing my job for a long time."