D Train Did Everything but Get the Win in Reds 4-3 Victory

Dontrelle Willis was as effective at the plate as he was on the mound.  Willis had three hits, two of which set up runs.  Unfortunately, of the six hits he allowed in seven innings, one by Wilson Ramos was a three-run home run. Willis walked a season-high five and one of those runners was aboard for Wilson's opposite field blast.

The Reds tried hard to get him the win but Francisco Cordero ended up with the victory in relief.

"We stuck with him through a lot of pitches.  He was lights out except for the home run," said Dusty Baker, who was not referring to the 17 minutes delay when a bank of stadium lights went out in the eighth inning. "He had a lot of base runners early that built his pitch count up.  They had some good hitters up."

Willis has seven quality starts among his nine as a Red this season.  He is still 0-3 and been the victim of three blown saves.

"I'm not worried about getting the victory personally.  Those come in spurts.  I am happy with the way I'm throwing and competing," Willis said.  "They always ask me if I'm ok and of course I'm going to say yes.  That's why you run those extra polls in the outfield so you can throw 123 pitches this time of year.  I want to thank Dusty for leaving me out there in the seventh to get those last two batters.  They were big in the game.  Getting them swung the momentum back to us."

The Red opened the scoring with an unearned run off Chien-Ming Wang.  Todd Frazier reached on an error by Ian Desmond. One out later Willis singled him to third.  Brandon Phillips singled to get Frazier home.

Willis walked light hitting rookie, Danny Espinosa to start the fourth.  Jonny Gomes singled in his return to Cincinnati in front of Ramos home run.

The Reds chipped away but couldn't pull ahead, scoring single runs in the sixth and seventh.  Paul Janish walked and Willis single for his third hit.  Phillips came up with another clutch hit to score Janish, who dived head first to beat Ramos' tag.  In the seventh Jay Bruce walked with one out.  Ramon Hernandez singled.  Frazier came through with a run scoring single with two outs.  Miguel Cairo struck out to end the inning.

"Miggy came in and said they got me once but they won't get me again," Baker said.

Cairo got the chance to redeem himself in the ninth.

Cordero set it up by throwing a scoreless top of the ninth.

Drew Stubbs singled with one out.  Frazier followed with a single.  Cairo took a breaking ball from Collin Balester for a ball.  He hit the 1-0 fastball between the left and center fielders to allow Stubbs to score easily.

"Miggy has been unbelievable," Baker said.  "Frazier had a couple of big hits too.  His average doesn't show it but he's been clutch."

Cairo knew what he had to do.

"I prepare myself physically and mentally.  I expect to win.  I play hard because I have a job to do," Cairo said.  "That first at bat, I didn't swing at a strike.  I told myself to swing at strikes.  I always look for a fastball and adjust to the other pitches."

The win put the Reds within one game of the .500 mark.  They trail Milwaukee by 13 games and know their chances of winning the division are slim but they want to finish strong.

With Jayson Werth due to bat and flame thrower Arlodis Chapman on the mound two banks of lights on the first base side near home plate went out.

"That was a dangerous situation with Chapman throwing," Baker said.  "It was good that Chapman didn't have to sit too long."