Game 39: Reds 8, Floridians 7

The Reds overcame a deficit, built a lead and nearly blew it before holding on to beat the Florida Floridians 8-7 in the series opener Monday night.

Florida opened things by breaking through for three runs in the first four innings off a less-than-sharp Aaron Harang. Jeremy Hermida and Hanley Ramirez crushed no-doubters off the Reds' ace in the first. Dan Uggla added a solo shot in the fourth, some of the sting of which was removed by Uggla being the starting second baseman for my fantasy league team.

The score remained 3-0 until the Cincinnati fifth, when the Reds cut it to 3-2 on Corey Patterson's double and Jorge Cantu's throwing error on a Jeff Keppinger grounder that would have ended the inning. The Reds got two more in the sixth on Adam Dunn's sac fly and a Burke Badenhop wild pitch. Florida evened the score in the top of the seventh, then the Reds came back with a four-run seventh on a Jeff Keppinger tie-breaking two-run shot and an absolutely titanic tater from Brandon Phillips, both coming off Fish reliever Taylor Tankersley.

The Reds couldn't get comfortable with the lead, though, as the bullpen continued its struggles. David Weathers and Jeremy Affeldt allowed the Floridians to get a rally going, then Francisco Cordero was brought on in the eighth. Ken Griffey Jr. muffed an easy fly ball to make it 8-7, then nearly dropped a shot to right from Alfredo Amezaga but held on. Cordero pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for the save and the win for the Reds.

Overall it was quite the up-and-down night, one that was nearly as frustrating as it was exciting to watch, but it was good to see the Reds get some runs and hold off a team that's playing really well right now, particularly offensively. This should be a fun series.

MOVES?
I read somewhere (Yahoo?) that Dusty Baker told Hal McCoy that Jay Bruce was coming soon. It'll almost be shades of Adam Dunn and Austin Kearns' promotions way back when, with the big buzz preceding an outfield prospect. Kearns didn't really work out like he appeared he would on the first callup, but Dunn has for the most part come as advertised, although the hitting for average component has never really manifested itself the way some thought it would given the plate discipline he showed at such a young age. Again, it isn't official yet, but Dusty seems to think Bruce's callup is imminent.

CP23...
Which may leave Corey Patterson without a job. I mentioned early in the game tonight to my wife that Patterson seems to make less solid contact than any hitter I've ever watched on a consistent basis. And of course, he went out tonight and had four hits (although one was a bunt, two were the definition of bloops and only one, the double, was a solid hit, much like this win when you're struggling there are no style points). Nevertheless, I don't think anyone in this organization is kidding themselves; Patterson isn't the longterm answer.

PHILLIPS...
Brandonie continued his hot-hitting ways with a 2-for-4 night and that colossal dinger. If you didn't see the game, you owe it to yourself to check it out, because it was a true no-doubter.

TOMORROW
Florida Floridians at Cincinnati Reds, part II. NL ERA leader Edinson Volquez takes on Mark Hendrickson, the former Ray and Dodger scrub who has gotten off to an amazing start after his Lasik surgery in the offseason. Could be a pitcher's duel.. but it's hard to hold down any team in Great American. First pitch 7:10, 4:10 here in Chargerland.

HERO OF THE DAY

JEFF "NO PICTURE" KEPPINGER
Go-ahead dinger. That dude can just plain hit! 1-for-5 tonight but he made it count.