Game 34: Reds vs. Braves (Game 2/3: H.Bailey/K.Medlen)

Best Game of the Year So Far! Reds Win in Dramatic Fashion After Hitting Back-to-Back Homers in the Bottom of the 9th

By Ryan Bramwell

ATL (19-13)  4  5  0
CIN (19-15)  5  9  0

W: Jonathan Broxton (1-1)
L: Craig Kimbrel (0-1)

Box Score

• Homer Bailey: 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 4 BB, 7 SO
• A bad first inning really set Homer back and caused him and his teammates to play from behind the rest of the game.
• Still, he pitched well after that.
• Bullpen: LeCure, Marshall and Broxton - 4.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 4 SO
• Magnificent work from the bullpen.  They held the Braves hitless over the final four frames.
• Choo: 2-for-5 with 2 home runs (7) and 2 RBI (15).
• Mesoraco: 1-for1 with a pinch-hit home run (1)
• Votto: 2-for-4 with his 8th double
• How it Happened:
• After the Reds scored a run in the 8th from a Brandon Phillips sac-fly, the score was 4-3. 
• Brox would pitch in the top of the 9th and notch a 1-2-3 inning. 
• In the bottom of the 9th, the Reds would have Jack Hannahan, Corky Miller, and the pitcher's spot due to bat.  One would think a manager would try to give his team its best chance to win in this situation, but not Dusty Baker.  He allowed for Hannahan and Miller to hit against the NL's most successful closer in Craig Kimbrel. 
• Hannahan strikes out looking. 1 out.
• Corky strikes out swinging. 2 outs.
• Then, Dusty sends Devin Mesoraco to the plate to bat for the pitcher -- a lot of us were getting concerned he wouldn't even make that subsitution at that point.
• Mesoraco, with a full count and 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th, hit a line drive home run off a 96-mph fastball to tie the game four runs apiece.  Crowd goes wild.
• Shin-Soo Choo steps up to the plate and follows Meso's lead as he cranks a home run over the left-center field wall on a 96-mph 2-1 pitch from Kimbrel to send the Reds fans home happy. What a game.