The Reds Lose Fourth Straight Game in Loss to Twins

Untimely walks and untimely strike outs caused the Reds to run out of time and outs in a 5-4 loss to the Minnesota Twins.

The Reds jumped in front on a two-run home run by Chris Heisey before starting and winning pitcher Nick Blackburn retired a batter.

Homer Bailey had a hard time with Ben Revere who was playing in front of his folks up from Lexington.  Revere had four singles and a key sacrifice fly.  A former nemesis from the Pittsburgh Pirates, Ryan Doumit, had four hits too, including his seventh home run.

The Twins took the lead on Doumit's fourth inning blast.

Newly activated Scott Rolen got the lead back in the bottom of the inning with a two-run home run, the first of his three hits on the night.

Following Rolen's blast, Devin Mesoraco hit a broken bat ground ball to shortstop but umpire Jerry Layne was struck in the face with the barrel end of the bat.  Layne had to leave the game.  Bob Davidson replaced him.  Layne will miss the rest of the series for precautionary reasons.

The umpire change appeared to have an adverse effect on Bailey.

The Reds righthander gave up a one-out single to Revere, then walked Josh Willingham and Justin Morneau.
Bailey pitched out of the inning with the lead intact but his pitch count was rising.

"In every game there are a few questionable calls but I don't think the umpire makes the difference," Bailey said.

The sixth started badly for Bailey. Doumit singled to lead off.  One out later Jamey Carrol singled. Bailey then issued his third walk to injured catcher, Joe Mauer.

"I had a lot of pitches in the middle innings but there were a lot of hits that were just placed that I couldn't do anything about."

Bailey lobbied Dusty Baker to stay in the game but the manager went to Bill Bray, who was reinstated from the disabled list hours before the game.

"I did what I had to do.  Homer wanted to stay out there but they had some lefthanders coming up.  I had hoped to use Bray in a less pressurized situation but you don't want to use Sean Marshall that early," Baker said. "We certainly didn't want to use our bullpen that much on the first game of 17 in a row."

The walk to Mauer set up the Twins with the bases loaded and one out. "That walk was the key," Baker said.

Bray walked Denard Span to force home the tying run. Revere put the Twins in front for good with a fly out to right that plated Doumit.

The Reds spent the rest of the game scratching and clawing for the equalizing run.

In the sixth, Brandon Phillips led off with a single.  Jay Bruce lined deep to left.  Ryan Ludwick walked.  Rolen hit a one-hop single to center that was fielded too shallow to allow Phillips to score.  Mesoraco was caught looking at a third strike and pinch hitter, Todd Frazier, flied to shallow center.

The last gasp for the Reds was in the ninth.  Rolen singled for his third hit off substitute closer
Glen Perkins.  Wilson Valdez moved Rolen to second with a sacrifice bunt.  Pinch hitter, Ryan Hanigan, singled sharply to center and like Rolen's single in the sixth, it was right to Span in center.  Rolen had to hold at third.  Perkins then struck out Zack Cozart looking and Chris Heisey swinging and the result was the Reds' season-high fourth straight loss.

"We had opportunities which is what you want but you have to find a way to make contact in those situations," Baker said.  "These one-run losses are starting to mount up.  We don't want these to haunt us."

In the Reds' last six losses, five of them have been by one run.

Pittsburgh defeated Detroit to get to within one game of the Reds.