First Game Of Double Header Belongs To The Reds

http://donatelifeohio.org/

Talk about your walk offs.  Billy Hamilton drew a bases loaded walk in the 11th inning to give the Reds a 5-4 win over the Chicago Cubs.

Dylan Floro pitched the final two innings to earn his first Major League win.

"Floro has been good for us in a lot of situations," Reds' manager Jim Riggleman said..  "We couldn't afford to use any one else in that game.  It was his game all the way."

Floro was left off the roster for Opening Day but impressed everyone with his spring in Goodyear.  He brought some big league experience to a very young bullpen.  Floro pitched in three games for the Cubs last year for 9 2/3 innings.

http://www.wiedemannbeer.com/

"It's awesome," a smiling Floro said.  "For it to happen like that it's a great experience.  I'm excited. It is hard to catch my breath.  I was with them last year.  They're a great organization. I appreciate them.  It is always nice to get a W against them.  I've been in a lot of situations.  It is a great feeling for him to put me in those situations.  I want to prove I can do it."

The Reds slept fast on Friday night to take on the Cubs in the first game of a double header.

The first inning looked eerily like Homer Bailey's Friday night in a three-run first inning.  Like the first five Cubs' batters hit their way on base on Friday, the first two batters, Albert Almora Jr. and Kris Bryant singled.  Anthony Rizzo flied out to shallow right.   Addison Russell walked to fill the bases. Middletown's Kyle Schwarber hit into an inning ending double play.

The Reds went to work on Kyle Hendricks immediately.  Jose Peraza walked, a rare occurrence because it was his seventh walk in 108 plate appearances.  Peraza stole second base, his seventh to put himself in position to score on Scooter Gennett's single.

The Cubs got even in the third Almora Jr. singled and scored on Bryant's double.

Joey Votto doubled to open the Reds' fourth.  It was 30th game in 32 appearances for Votto to reach base.  Gennett bunted Votto to third.  He was credited with a sacrifice but it looked like he was bunting for a hit.  Eugenio Suarez gave the Reds a lead with a sacrifice fly to center.

Castillo left after five innings with the lead but David Hernandez was greeted with disrespect by Ian Happ who tripled.  Hendricks the pitcher doubled to the base of the bullpen fence.  Hernandez bowed his neck after that, retiring the next two batters and Russell after an intentional walk to Rizzo.

The Reds answered quickly with the aid of Cubs' second baseman Javier Baez, who fumbled Peraza's ground ball.  Votto walked.  Gennett drove in his second run of the game with a single.  Suarez did likewise with an RBI double.

Amir Garrett, sporting an glistening 1.40 ERA, pitched the seventh.   The long, tall, lefty walked Schwarber to open the inning but catcher Victor Caratini hit into a double play.   Garrett struck out Baez looking.  The pitcher's on-mound celebration irked Baez and the pair squared off near home plate.  Reinforcements arrived from benches and bullpens but tempers cooled.  No one was ejected.

"That's how it goes," Garrett said. "There are no hard feelings there. It's over.  I believe so, I believed he pimped a home run on me last year.  He got me and I got him.  It's over. I am sure we will have plenty more match ups.  I love the way he plays the game.  He's very flashy and I love that. I love all of it but if you dish it, you gotta take it.

Iglesias replaced Garrett.

Former UC Bearcat, Ian Happ hit his sixth home run to open the eighth.  It was his third hit and left him a single short of the cycle combined with his triple and second inning double.

Tommy La Stella pinch hit for Randy Rosario, the Cubs 26th man, pitched two scoreless innings. LaStella singled on a full count pitch.  Iglesias struck out Almora and retired Bryant on a routine fly to right.  Rizzo tied the game with a double into the left centerfield gap.  Iglesias struck out Russell to end the inning.

Carl Edwards Jr. issued a two-out walk to Scott Schebler, who stole second base but Tucker Barnhart grounded to short.

Wandy Peralta took over in the ninth for Iglesias and set the Cubs down in order.

Pedto Strop gave up a two-out double to Billy Hamilton but struck out Tony Cruz and Peraza to send the game to the 10th inning.

Dylan Floro started the 10th for the Reds.  The Cubs went down in order.

Brian Duensing retired Votto on a soft liner to short and struck out Gennett.   Steve Cishek took over to pitch to Suarez.  Suarez grounded out to short.

Floro allowed an infield hit and an intentional walk but preserved the tie into the bottom of the 11th.

Schebler took a walk from boom Justin Wilson to open the bottom of the 11th.  Barnhart singled.  Wilson got behind Duvall 3-0 and lost him to load the bases with no outs.  Hamilton took three pitches off the plate with five Cubs in the infield and outfielders shallow in the two gaps.  Wilson threw a 3-0 strike but missed badly with ball four.

"If he threw a strike, I'd have to put the ball in play," Hamilton said.  "It's kind of tough when you see a five-man infield and two guys playing up the middle.  It gets you to thinking you've got to do something different but you've got to relax."

Hamilton had an awful at bat in the sixth inning against Randy Rosario with the bases loaded.

"Billy had a great at bat.  We let some chances go by.  I thought it would haunt us and sure enough it did.  We we had a lot of good at bats. Schebler and Duvall, Tucker gave us a chance," Riggleman said.