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Y! MyWebGriffey's walk-off shot wins it
COMMENT: How will the Reds do in the second half?
MCCOY: Another glory day for Griffey
MORE: Baker's son teases Griffey | Latest photos
Monday, June 30, 2008
CINCINNATI — Maybe manager Dusty Baker should instruct his 9-year-old son, Darren, to drop some insults on Ken Griffey Jr. every day, a few Rodney Dangerfields here and there.
If it produces what it did Monday in Great American Ball Park, a game-winning walk-off home run, then why not?
The Cincinnati Reds made it three wins in a row and climbed out of last place in the National League Central (by .001 percentage point) with a 4-3 decision over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The igniter? Griffey. The ignitee? Little Baker, or as Griffey called him with a smile, "Half-Baked."
The Reds trailed, 3-2, entering the ninth against Pirates closer Matt Capps. David Ross doubled, Griffey plastered a 0-and-1 fastball into the right field seats, game over.
Griffey didn't start the game, getting a day of rest, but came in to right field in the top of the ninth as part of a double switch.
Before the game, Griffey kiddingly asked Darren why he wasn't playing and Darren said, "Because you can't hit lefthanders."
Griffey told him he hit 21 homers off lefthanders in 1996 and Darren said, "It's not 1996 and you're old. About 50."
After hitting his 10th homer this season and the 603rd of his career, Griffey said he is going to start calling Darren, "Baker-and-a-half."
Before the game, Adam Dunn asked Griffey why he wasn't playing and Griffey said, "GSP, a good, solid benching. I figure it worked out for you, so they're just giving me a jump start."
Griffey, though, made it clear he prefers to play nine innings and shake hands, not less than an inning and shake hands.
"I don't like those (days off), but it's OK, well, no it's not," he said. "You want to be out there all the time. So you just try to contribute when you're in there."
Before that, it was familiar territory for starter Aaron Harang. He pitched seven innings and gave up three runs, but his so-called friends could only score two for him.
"Harang threw a pitch low-and-in for Adam Roche (who hit a home run) and he likes the ball low-and-in," said Baker. "We wanted to get Aaron the victory, but we got the victory and we'll get one for him next time."
Pittsburgh scored first after a leadoff double in the second inning by Ryan Doumit and he scored on Adam LaRoche's sacrifice fly.
The Reds tied it, 1-1, in the third on Jerry Hairston Jr.'s second home run, a drive into the left field seats.
LaRoche struck bigger and better in the sixth when he followed Xavier Nady's double with his eighth home run, a blast over the right field wall to make it 3-2.
The Reds had the bases loaded with one out in the sixth, but scored only one. Jay Bruce's grounder to first scored a run, but David Ross struck out, leaving the Reds in arrears, 3-2.
Putting the first two on base in an inning didn't do the Reds much good, except raise the frustration level.
The first two reached in the first inning against starter Paul Maholm, but nothing came of it because Brandon Phillips popped up and Joey Votto grounded out.
The first two reached in the eighth against relief pitcher Damaso Marte, but Votto missed on two horrible bunt attempts and struck out, Edwin Encarnacion struck out and pinch-hitter Javier Valentin grounded out.
Then it was time for The Old Man Like LaRoche, he likes the ball low-and-in, too, and that's where Capps put the fastball that Griffey dispatched with alacrity.
"You know what Bill Cosby said, 'Kids say the darndest things,'" said Griffey. Wasn't that Art Linkletter?
"That was a tremendous at-bat by Ross before the home run, falling behind 0-and-2 before working the count to 2-and-2 and then doubling. "We haven't had one of these in a long time and I'm extremely happy for Junior," said Baker (the father/manager, not the son).
"We left guys on in the first, the sixth and the eighth, but we won in the ninth and that's all that matters," Baker added.
And here are Griffey's career game-winning walk-off home runs:
—Monday, Pittsburgh (Matt Capps), ninth inning.
—May 11, 2006, Washington (Joey Eischen), 11th inning.
—August 8, 2002, Los Angeles (Omar Daal), 13th inning.
—August 20, 2001, St. Louis (Andy Benes), 11th inning.
—August 24, 1998, New York Yankees (John Wetteland), ninth inning.
Comments
By Gene
July 2, 2008 10:57 PM | Link to this
The Reds in the second half of the season? As Marty would say ” Stick a fork in them their done”
By Brandon
July 2, 2008 4:22 PM | Link to this
The only thing i can say is wow! This season had me excited and then let me down. How in the world can a team have so many good players and play so badly? I honestly dont know how the Reds can get there act together because they have tried everything. With that said heres who needs axed next year:Dunn,Griffey,Weathers,Arroyo and Patterson. The only thing I think would help is to bring in all young blood and get rid of all the older players. The Marlins proved a young team can win in 1997.
By VietVet
July 2, 2008 3:51 PM | Link to this
At the current pace, no better than 4th in the standings and that will take numerous winning streaks and series sweeps. Hopefully, we’ll be saying goodbye to Dunn, Arroyo,Majewski,Patterson, and Griffey after this year.Harang may be having an off year or I’d include him in this list. Overpaid- non-producing players that, at this time, are taking 5 of the 25 roster positions. As with every year in the last 10+ years, the need is to develop reliable pitching with additional work for middle relief.
By Leroy Palmer
July 1, 2008 8:04 PM | Link to this
Convoluted? Gibberish?
If you don’t know the very good reasons for batting a pitcher eighth, you don’t deserve to get paid for writing about baseball. Stop being lazy and do some investigation. You sound like one of those very loud fans at ball games who don’t know nearly as much as they think they do.
By Nate
July 1, 2008 6:14 PM | Link to this
It was august 24th 1995.
By Tim Johnson
July 1, 2008 4:40 PM | Link to this
If we keep Jarrod as the set up man and keep Wheathers out of that spot, we’ll be win a lot of games. He’s like that guy Danny, I forget his last name, you held your breath with every pitch he threw. And if Dunn would get something more than a homeruns,walks,and stikeouts. And if we get a new hitting coach, then we could go all the way!
By somethingbetter
July 1, 2008 4:34 PM | Link to this
barring a miracle, i don’t think this team can make up 11.5 games. it would help if one or both of the corner outfielders caught fire and carried this team for two weeks to a month. still, i don’t think this team can play as bad as they did in the first half. the second half of the season is not as murderous as the first half. by the end of the year, i expect them to be in second or third place. they will play just well enough to give me hope for ‘09 so that they can crush it by May.
By Jeff
July 1, 2008 3:51 PM | Link to this
I truely feel the Reds could place third if the injury bug stays away. Prior to Keppinger and Hairston going down the Reds were actually playing good ball, but as luck would have it, they had three or four people go down to injuries. Now the reds are getting healthy and playing somewhat better ball. If Dusty could fugure out a lineup that would also be helpful. Last but not least Harang & Arroyo, come on guys
By Phil Man
July 1, 2008 3:22 PM | Link to this
They’ll do even crappier in the second half.
By Trev
July 1, 2008 1:35 PM | Link to this
Dusty is a prime example of someone who just knows enough to be dangerous! Hard to believe that he looked at the numbers for Griffey & Dunn versus Maholm and Duke but reversed the dramatic on/off numbers for them. Wow!!
By bill
July 1, 2008 10:24 AM | Link to this
Give me a break people. This team is weak!
By Dontgiveup
July 1, 2008 10:20 AM | Link to this
Why is everyone giving up already on these guys? Am I the only one that still has hope with this team? The cubs could be the mets of last year and we could be the padres. We have alot of young talent that seems to be coming around the past couple weeks. I see a bunch of individuals coming together as a team.. Go Reds in 08!!!
By jeff
July 1, 2008 10:02 AM | Link to this
This team can’t let optimism get in the way of whats right for the long term. You can’t have a 15 million dollar .225 hitting left fielder. I lovee watching dunner’s long balls but he is what he is. You either trade him or ride him out and let him go and then get the two draft picks for him. I love Griff and I will miss him but it is time to move on maybe to a contender. Hopefully Arroyo can string together some starts and you have to move his contract as well if anyone is crazy enough.
By jeff
July 1, 2008 10:02 AM | Link to this
This team can’t let optimism get in the way of whats right for the long term. You can’t have a 15 million dollar .225 hitting left fielder. I lovee watching dunner’s long balls but he is what he is. You either trade him or ride him out and let him go and then get the two draft picks for him. I love Griff and I will miss him but it is time to move on maybe to a contender. Hopefully Arroyo can string together some starts and you have to move his contract as well if anyone is crazy enough.
By Reed
July 1, 2008 9:56 AM | Link to this
I do not care where they finish as long as the “kids” get their chance and we get ready for a real run next year. Make the moves that help the club get better and lets get the kids ready to contend seriously next season.
By nick
July 1, 2008 9:16 AM | Link to this
They have a long way to go and very little to get them there. It, though, was a good win in an exciting manner. Classic Junior. What if he hadn’t lost all that playing time due to his injuries. We should all remember an important point, with regard to Junior,not too many individuals come back from a tare of not one but both hamstrings,tares that were off the leg bone, as his was. Those who suffer any sort of hamstring pull or tare never fully recover and are weakened forever.
By Michael
July 1, 2008 9:08 AM | Link to this
I think the Reds will be better in the second half, but only enough to rise to third place. You can’t dig that deep of a hole and expect to get out easily.
By tom
July 1, 2008 7:29 AM | Link to this
Last place.