Red Lose To Phillies In 19 Innings 5-4 2B Wilson Valdez Was The Winning Pitcher

The Reds hit Roy Halladay hard, unlike the last time they faced him.  Yet , the Reds had trouble getting timely hits unless Jay Bruce was at the plate.

Travis Wood got off to a slow start in contrast to his last start against Cleveland.  In Cleveland he pitched five hitless innings before losing control of the game in the sixth inning.  This time the first two batters scored.  Jimmy Rollins opened with a single and Ben Francisco hit a home run.   Wood allowed another run in the second inning and the Phillies ace had a three-run lead to play with.

Brandon Phillips, who ironically was the last out in Halladay's playoff no-hitter, singled with one out in the first.

The Reds stranded runners in every inning but the fourth and broke through with a single by Joey Votto that scored Drew Stubbs.  The Reds loaded the bases with two out in the seventh and Bruce came through with a two-run single.

The game became a bullpen battle.

Jose Arredondo, Bill Bray and Nick Masset for the Reds battled Michael Stutes and Ryan Madson through nine innings.  Masset had to pitch out of a bases loaded one out jam in the ninth.

Bruce took the reprieve and put the Reds on top with a home run to lead off the 10th inning.  But Francisco Cordero's first pitch in the 10th was smashed by Ryan Howard to re-tie the contest.

The Reds best chance to win the game was thwarted when Rollins distracted Phillips, who was in pain after being hit on his right hand by a wild. J.C. Romero.  Romero walked Votto.  Phillips lost concentration by talking to Rollins as Wilson Valdez snuck in and picked Phillips off second for the second out.  Romero walked Scott Rolen and Jay Bruce, then was replaced by Kyle Kendrick.  Ramon Hernandez hit a high chop to the mound.  Kendrick threw him out to end the threat.

More bullpen heroics kept the game tied for eight more innings.

Cordero pitched a scoreless 11th.  Logan Ondrusek pitched two scoreless innings.

For Philadelphia, David Herndon pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings.

By now the Phillies were down to its last pitcher Danys Baez.  The Reds had Carlos Fisher, who was recalled   on Tuesday because the bullpen was used up by two short outings in a row by Edinson Volquez and Bronson Arroyo.   Sam LeCure pitched 3 1/3 innings on Sunday and Maloney 3 1/3 on Monday.

Fisher battled Baez for five innings, neither blinked but both were wearing out.

Maloney could not go.  LeCure warmed up but was sore and could not pitch.

Fisher and Baez both got through the 18th inning.  The last player left on the bench, former Reds draftee, Dane Sardinha pinch hit for Baez in the 18th.

Phillies manager, Charlie Manuel, had to improvise.

Valdez the secondbaseman come on to pitch.  Placido Polanco moved from thirdbase to secondbase.  Carlos Ruiz came from behind the plate to play third.

Valdez had to face the reigning NL MVP, Votto.  Votto just missed his pitch and flied out to the warning track in center field.  Rolen was hit by a pitch and Bruce flied out.  Fisher had to bat and popped up.

Fisher was on fumes.  Rollins singled to start the 19th.  Dominic Brown walked. Polanco bunted to advance both runners.  The Reds walked Howard intentionally.  Raul Ibanez hit a long fly that Stubbs ran down for pride but Rollins scored easily.

Valdez earned the victory in the first game he had ever pitched in during his professional career.

The game lasted 6 hours 11 minutes.  The two meet in the fourth game of the series 11 hours from the end of the game.

It was the Phillies longest game since they played a 20-inning game against Los Angeles on July 7, 1993.  The Reds last played this long in another 19 inning game against the Dodgers on August 8, 1972.

Cincinnati lost its first extra inning game after four wins.