Phillips' talents have never gone unnoticed. The Montreal Expos picked him in the second round of the 1999 draft out of Redan High School in Stone Mountain, Georgia.
The Indians thought so highly of Phillips they traded, then ace Bartolo Colon to get him along with Cliff Lee and Grady Sizemore.
Phillips and former manager Eric Wedge did not get along. Phillips played 112 games for the Indians in 2003 but just 12 games total in 2004 and 2005.
Out of options and fed up with the talented but immature shortstop, the Indians cut him loose in the waning days of spring training, 2006. He was designated for assignment, giving Cleveland 10 days to ask waivers, release him or trade him. They were in a bad bargaining position at that point. Then Cincinnati Reds general manager Wayne Krivsky offered Jeff Stevens and the Indians accepted.
The Reds move Phillips to secondbase and he has been an All-Star in Cincinnati.
From time to time Phillips expresses bitterness toward Wedge and the Indians organization. Dusty Baker wants him to use that bitterness for motivation.
"You have to use every edge you can get," Baker said. "I told him before the series started, you know you playing the Indians. He sort of smiled. Even if you pretend its a grudge."
Phillips didn't act like a player with a grudge post game.
"To tell you the truth I don't know why I've hit better against the Indians," Phillips said. "I just was out there trying to do my job. It feels good to win. I'm playing in the city I've always wanted to be in. It feels good beating the team you just came from and stuff like that. They're a great organization. I wish them all the best but when they come to Cincinnati, we have to let them know that we're here. You want to be the best team in Ohio. That's the best thing about it."
Mat Latos, needing to save the Reds' bullpen for possible extended use on Thursday afternoon, pitched seven innings and gave up just two runs on seven hits and a walk. Mike Leake was pushed back a day with the flu. It was important for Latos to pitch deep into the game in case Leake is not up to pitching or is ineffective.
The key inning for Latos was the fourth. The Indians loaded the bases with two singles and a walk but Latos escaped with only one run allowed when Casey Kotchman hit into a force play.
"That was huge," Latos said. "Of course I'd have liked to get out of it without giving any runs. I think any pitcher would. There have been a couple games, I've given up two, three runs right there and my pitch count goes way up. It potentially could cost us a game. So, it was good to get out of there with just one scoring."
The escape saved the bullpen for his manager, who told him in the middle of Tuesday's game that he would be pitching a day early.
"We were holding our breath. The fourth and fifth have been his nemesis. In the seventh they had some good hitters coming up," Baker said. "This is the best game he's thrown."
Marshall pitched a scoreless eighth. Aroldis Chapman earned his seventh save in spite of allowing a two-out solo home run to Jose Lopez.
"It was good for Marsh to have a clean inning other than the error," Baker said. "We have some length in the bullpen tomorrow."
The Pittsburgh Pirates lost to the Baltimore Orioles. The Reds lead is back to two games.
"Hopefully, we can get rolling now that we're two (games) up," Baker said. "We've been at seven games over (.500) many, many, many times. I'd like to get over that hump."
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