Reds Win Soggy Game

In contrast to Phoenix Arizona which has had one day of rain in the last 122 days, a day without rain in Cincinnati would be considered a drought.

The Reds have waded through 10 hours and 42 minutes of rain in its 11 dates so far this season, which includes the eighth postponement in Great American Ball Park history on Monday night.  The Reds tread enough water to win a 3-2 decision over the sinking Chicago Cubs.

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Billy Hamilton, who weighs 160 soaking wet, was not slowed by rain.  Hamilton walked in the first and stole his 10th base of the season.  He continued to third on a wild pitch, with an idea of trying to score.  Brandon Phillips delivered Hamilton with a long fly to right off Jeff Samardzija, the Cubs starter.

Alfredo Simon is 4-1 and started the game with a  1.30 ERA, fourth in the National League.  He is at 1.60 post game and has been a pleasant but not totally unexpected surprise for the Reds' subbing in for the injured Mat Latos.

"I wouldn't have put it past Freddie, (Simon)," Price said. "The surprise is that he has been a shut down competitor.  He's had to battle and fought his way through this game. That shows his development."

The Cubs bunched three ground singles to score two runs in the third and take a temporary 2-1 lead with Starling Castro knocking in a pair with a single up the middle.

Hamilton beat out a ground ball to Castro at short but was gunned down by Wellington Castillo, the fifth time he's been thrown out.

Vowing it wouldn't happen again, Hamilton belted his first career home run off Samardzija to tie the game in the fifth.  The last time he went deep was the day that Chapman took the line drive to the head.  He led off the game with Kansas City that night with a blast.

"I'd rather have two infield hits any day than hit a home run, but its a good thing it happened," Hamilton said.  "It was a big run in a close game.  It wasn't a fence scrapper either.  Billy Hatcher told me his first one landed between the first row of fans and the fence.  Mine went a little farther."

Bryan Price will take runs any way he get get them after the Atlanta series in which the Reds scored just one run over the last 18 innings.

"It's nice to know the power is there but it can be disruptive sometime," Price said. "We just want Billy to get on base and disrupt things that way."

The Reds mounted the winning rally when struggling Zack Cozart tripled with two outs in the sixth.  Chris Heisey pinch hit for Simon and singled in the winning run just before rain delayed the game for over an hour.

"It made sense to try to get that run in," Price said.  "Simon certainly didn't pitch his way out of the game.  He could have gone another inning or two.  With the rain coming we wanted to get that run home and it worked out."

Heisey has been a reliable pinch hitter since he's been with the team.

"I'm always ready," Heisey said. "I haven't had a lot of opportunities lately but I stay ready."

The Reds bullpen, Logan Ondrusek, Sam LeCure and Jonathan Broxton kept the Cubs at bay over the final three innings. Broxton, as a proxy for Aroldis Chapman earned his fifth save in as many chances.

"It wasn't ideal conditions," Heisey said.  "You want to either play the game or go home.  It wasn't as bad for me because I didn't start but for the other guys.  They had to get loose, then sit and get loose again.  That takes a toll over a 162 game season."