Reds Bullpen Rebounds To Give Reds a Split With Yankees

Logan Ondrusek and Aroldis Chapman rebounded to help preserve Homer Bailey's 6-5 win over the New York Yankees to even the series and the road trip.

Bailey turned in his second straight quality start and sixth in his eight starts for the season.

Joey Votto hit a three-run home run off Yankee starter, Ivan Nova to give the Reds a 5-2 lead. Brandon Phillips and Chris Heisey drove in runs.  Mike Costanzo, the designated hitter, earned his first major league hit and drove in what proved to be the winning run with a sacrifice fly.

Bailey contained the Yankee offense.  He allowed solo home runs to Russel Martin and Jayson Nix, the younger brother of former Red Laynce Nix.  Raul Ibanez singled home a run.

Bailey left with one out in the seventh and runners on first and second.  Ondrusek, who gave up five runs to the Mets on Thursday, stranded the Yankee runners, giving him 17 stranded runners of the 18 he has inherited this season.  Chapman nicked for an unearned run against the Mets, was charged with his first blown save on Thursday.  The run was unearned so his ERA remains a perfect zero but it was the only run that has scored against him.

This time he blew the heart of the Yankees order away in the eighth and turned the three-run lead over to Sean Marshall.

That is when the drama started.  Marshall was rescued by Ondrusek last Wednesday in Pittsburgh. This time he needed help from Arredondo.

Ibanez started the inning with a double.  Nick Swisher singled him home.  Marshall caught Martin staring at a third strike curve ball but former Atlanta all-star Andruw Jones singled Swisher to third bringing the tying run to the plate.  Nix singled Swisher home.  That brought Derek Jeter to the plate as the winning run.

Dusty Baker brought in Arredondo, who got the last out in Friday's game.  He got Jeter to ground to Wilson Valdez at third.  Jeter hustled his 37-year old body down the line and beat the relay by an eye lash. Arredondo got Curtis Granderson to hit a weak ground ball to Votto and earned his first major league save.

Friday night Andy Pettite shut out the Reds 4-0 but Bronson Arroyo saved the bullpen that is in the middle of a stretch of 20 games in 20 days.

Arroyo allowed a run on a ground out in the fourth inning but matched Pettite zero-for-zero until there were two outs in the eighth.  Robinson Cano hit a hanging breaking ball out.  Alex Rodriguez singled and Ibanez lined a home run to right.  Arredondo got the last out.

Statistically, Arroyo will not get credit for a quality start but saving wear and tear on the bullpen could help the Reds win a couple games in this streak.

Johnny Cueto faces the Yankees and C.C. Sabathia on Sunday before the Reds return home.